Phongsaly - North East Laos and the trip of obstructions

[KTMphil]

Phongsaly - North East Laos and the trip of obstructions

Route

Chiang Mai, Chiang Khong (Thailand), Huay Xai (Laos), ViengPhoukha, Phongsaly, Pak Nam Noi, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientaine, Khon Kaen (Thailand), Chiang Mai

Distance

3,200km

This was one of the most beautiful trips i've done, partly due to the perfect weather after a large depression had just left the south east Asia area & because of the rain there was no burning of the fields.

It became the trip of obstructions, the first being a felled tree on the way to Chiang Khong (& more interesting ones later)

Thai Immigration and Customs at Chiang Khong were quick and painless, then it was on the ferry across the Mekong river to Laos

(you've got to love the Green outhouse toilet -no plumbing problems there)

The resurfacing of R3 from Huay Xai is almost finished and is a lovely road

On R3 there are about 5X 1km sections that still look like this

One more section on R3 in Laos

The obligatory photo with the rolled double decker bus

Managed to catch the sunset on the way east in laos

Leaving late in the day, I managed to get as far east in Laos as ViangPhoukha on R3, a reasonably sized farming town. I found this small Guest House for 35,000 kip a night

Only down side was it was a squat toilet

The owner of the Gh had a cool tuk tuk

20 meters to the east of the Gh i think i found the best chips (home made french fries) in Asia so far

The restaurant was completely full, looked like it may have been a works dinner

ViengPhoukha had a fantastic morning market at 0600am

These two smiles were priceless at 0615am

Lots of ladies is the same traditional pattern of head scarves

This is one of my favorites from the ViengPhoukha market

Many ladies had towels on their heads

Noodles

Very traditional lady

Waiting for the buyers

More towels

It was quite cold and many houses had people huddled around the fire outside

Getting ready to dry produce in the sun

 

[KTMphil]

Day 2

After the morning market photo section and loading the bike, it was off east towards Oudom Xai. Thats when the next obstruction was upon me - a house being carried along the road by 50 Laos people

It worked surprisingly well

Then the next obstacle - a crashed bus

To get to Phongsaly from Viengphoukha/ Laung nam Tha area, you have to head to Oudom Xai SE down R13, then at Oudom Xai take R2E NE to Pak Nam Noi, all the roads to this point are quite good.

From Pak Nam Noi NNW to Phongsaly (the left turn onto R18)

The very southern end of R18 where it intersects with R2E

The road is a 150km sand/ mud road packed with large rocks which resembles a badly cobbled road

There is village after village on the R18 stone road, be careful managing your fuel, some villages are 40km apart with NOTHING in between

The right turn onto N/NE onto R19, the last 80km to Phongsaly is good quality tarmac

An iron buffalo on the road to Phongsaly

Phongsaly is a beautiful Chinese influenced city, at 1,400 meters.

As you go into Phongsaly, just before the old town on your right is the Sen Saly GH

70,000 kip, it was clean and convenient

Midnight Mapper, with 2 hours of daylight left, guilt-ed me into going up to the stupha to take some sunset photo's - Im told its rarely this clear up there, normally you're in the clouds

The old town from the stupha

walking around Phongsaly, there were plenty of places to stay, most being Chinese styled old hotels

Had dinner at Laoper restaurant in Phongsaly

Was hoping for the same delicious french fries as the night before but it didnt work

They did have their own green "Laos Khow" green moonshine though

And "Khai Mott" (ant egg lava) in english on the menu!

more to come

 

[KTMphil]

Day 3

Up at 0600am to catch the morning market in Phongsaly.

Another market with fascinating faces

Body-language, I was wondering if these two had had a dis-agreement

Cleaning the morning market equipment

Had breakfast at the Laojerm, which seemed germ free

The restaurant was good for people watching

Interesting looking Laos lady

Off to work

 

[KTMphil]

Day 3 Phongsaly town

The shops in Phongsaly sold everything from TV's to farm equipment, if it would sell, they had it

Laos lady in a tradition skirt having tire troubles

The Chinese house styles in the old town were beautiful this seemed to be one of the oldest

Beautiful varnished doors

A nice collection of hard wood on the street corner

Plenty of motorcycle repair shops in Phongsaly

Drying the produce

Link to part 2 below:

http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/laos-ride-reports/240-part-2-phongsaly-heading-south.html

 

[alexuk]

good to see the fotos of phongsali.
It was raining when I tried to get there, and the boat never showed up.
Any bushmeat in the markets?

 

[KTMphil]

good to see the fotos of phongsali.
It was raining when I tried to get there, and the boat never showed up.
Any bushmeat in the markets?

I had a good look in the butchers section in the markets and didn't see any bush meat. We were talking to a conservationist in Laos & he told us that the Vietnamese construct a 1KM long brush fence with 1 meter wide gaps in it every 100 meters. They then lay snares made of bicycle brake cable to catch the bush meat, we're told they end up with a lot of badgers and small deer.

 

[daveg]

You shot some really nice portraits! Looks like an excellent trip.

It is really horrifying to see a rolled doubledecker bus. Makes taking a night bus as a backpacker look like it may be less safe than moto travel.

 

[KTMphil]

I'm looking to go back up to NE Laos, midnight mapper has shown me some areas on his GPS map where you can actually ride straight into Vietnam with no border post - a lot of Vietnamese poachers come over to Laos by these routes.

 

[KTMphil]

Route taken from Huay Xai to Pongsaly

The route used was the main highways as I wanted to get from ViengPhouka to Phongasly in 1 day

Copyright GT Mapper