Continued ...
O Smach:
Border crossing back to Thailand. Almost no traffic on this route. Efficient, quick, and friendly on both sides. Total border crossing time about 20 minutes:
The bike was an attention-getter. One man asked me what the bike cost. When I told him about US$5,000, he exclaimed, "You can by a tuktuk for that!"
The King's choice: Canon G9. These photos were taken with the same camera (G11):
Surin:
The elephants' graveyard for expats:
Highway from Surin to Khon Kaen:
It would be tempting to roll on the throttle, but you can't see what lies beyond the dips:
Hazards like this:
Khon Kaen:
The Pullman, formerly the Sofitel. My hotels cost from $10 to $150, this one being at the higher end.
A bar in Khon Kaen, between the my hotel and the shopping mall. What a great concept!
Khon Kaen is also a popular expat retirement destination:
Nakhon Phanom:
It seemed a clean and cheerful place:
Highway from Nakhon Phanom to Bueng Kan
Breakdown:
Then the clutch broke, fortunately on the Thai side of the Mekong, just 4 km before the ferry. At first I thought it was the clutch cable, and smiled because I carry a spare with me. Then I saw this piece lying on the ground:
I was still relaxed for awhile because I thought it would be an easy part to replace; I'd just have to wait around in Bueng Kan while I had the part FedExed to me, then I'd install it myself. So I rode the clutchless bike (not easy!) to a hotel in Bueng Kan, checked in, did some internet research to determine the part number, and called the dealers in Singapore and Bangkok. I learned that the part was not available in Thailand or Singapore and would take 7-10 days to arrive at a dealer. The dealer in Bangkok said that this was only the second time that they had ordered this part.
It also turned out that replacement of the part requires the swingarm and shaft drive to be pulled back several inches, which requires a workshop, a large socket wrench, a heat gun, and a torque wrench; these did not seem to be available in Bueng Kan. The part is obscured by the drive train and ordinary tools cannot even reach it. Prior to 1994, replacement of this part (nearly identical on all boxers for over thirty years) could be done with the tools in the tool kit in five minutes; after 2000 the part was eliminated when BMW introduced a hydraulic clutch. Just my luck that this is a 1998 bike!
The nearest airport to Bueng Kan is in Udon Thani, 200km distant. So the safest and cheapest solution was to hire a truck (S$800) to take the bike and me to Bangkok, leave the bike there, and fly home (S$70) until it was ready. The staff at The One hotel in Bueng Kan found a truck for me for the following morning, and were very helpful. The drive to Bangkok took twelve hours, and by evening my driver was popping caffeine (or perhaps Benzedrine) pills. The GPS was essential to guide the driver once we reached the periphery of Bangkok. My driver, who is 60, drove skillfully, and spoke only Thai and Isaan/Lao:
Lunch with my driver on the way - duck tongues! They are eaten like escargot - just pull the beak open, drag out the tongue with great force, and chew it like a block of rubber. I didn't try one! I ate rice:
This is a three-wheeled motorcycle near Bangkok, ridden while looking out the hole in the front. Note the driver grooming himself in the rear-view mirror:
Udon Thani:
I was back on the road about a month later. The bike repair took less than two weeks, but I needed to stay longer in Singapore due to a previous commitment before picking up the bike in Bangkok and resuming the ride.
Bueng Kan/Pakxan:
The Thai side of the Mekong. I assumed that I'd have to pay a penalty for failing to export the bike within the required time frame, but the customs man didn't care and I was through the Thai side of the border quickly. Like O Smach, there was hardly any traffic at this crossing and the staff were efficient and friendly:
The ferry to Pakxan.
It took some clutch smoking to ride the bike from the muddy downward slope up and onto the ferry ramp, as you can see from the truck doing it. The R1100R has only a 17 inch front wheel; it would have been much easier on a BMW GS model with its 19 inch front wheel.
Pakxan border crossing, Lao side.
Even though I already had a visa (from Singapore) I had to wait one hour while the staff ate lunch before I could be processed. Then the woman worked hard to generate the import paper for the motorcycle. Total border crossing time, including waiting for the ferry: About four hours:
Meanwhile her colleagues did nothing; in the room next door the man is playing a computer game and the other woman is watching TV:
Highway from Pakxan to Vientiane:
Vientiane:
My hotel (Sengtawan Riverside) on the left, with underground parking:
The People's Security Museum, into which people are not permitted, perhaps for security reasons. It is closed to the public.
One of countless wats in Vientiane:
Nothing moves quickly in Laos:
The lively night market:
Everyone is a millionaire in Laos:
I'm not a foodie (three clean "nourishment intervals" a day are all I need), but I enjoyed the food in this Frenchman's (the man on the left below) Alsace restaurant. This was the first course of a three-course meal costing just a few dollars:
Highway from Vientiane to Vang Vieng:
Note the Tiger Beer advertisement sponsoring the highway sign:
Watch out for the dips where the pavement ends, sometimes every few hundred meters. Just when you think the going is good, you have to hit the brakes:
Lao are a generally cheerful and friendly folk:
Vang Vieng:
Vang Vieng is so given to tourism it's as though a resort corporation bought the town, added hippie theme park decoration, vendor kiosks, bars, and restaurants all offering the same low-end products and services; evicted all the villagers; and hired them all back as shopkeepers, waitresses, and masseuses to serve all the backpackers. I'll be back!
Beerlao seems to have a monopoly on signage:
Appetizers on the menu:
Highway from Vang Vieng to Phonsavan:
Morning rush hour:
The road to the viewpoint:
The viewpoint at 1500m. At last, cool temperature!
These ladies thought I must be a dashing hero for riding alone from Singapore on a motorcycle. They took turns taking their photo next to me. I felt like Goofy at Disneyland, or Brian in "The Life of Brian."
But these children were less than impressed:
That's the road down there:
With some of it stuck here:
Phonsavan:
The Nice Hotel, with motorcycle parked behind the gate:
The rooms are adequate, for one night:
Plain of Jars, outside:
And inside:
Highway from Phonsavan to Luang Prabang:
Highway 7 and parts of Highway 13 are at least as good a ride as the Mae Hong Son loop in north Thailand, and more scenic:
Every home has its satellite dish:
I encountered hardly any rain during the weeks on the road. This was it:
Flat tire, resolved with the "Stop & Go" tire plugger:
Luang Prabang:
Public market:
Nearly a week to go to Songkran, and already the water madness is starting:
Highway from Luang Prabang to Luang Namtha:
The 70 km from Muang Xai to Ban Ai One was mostly a rocky dirt road because most of the pavement had washed away. It took several hours to cover that distance in first and second gear. After Ban Ai One, the pavement was absolutely perfect - even with a nicely painted dotted line, the first I'd seen in days.
Pigs were common and dangerous (if hit) road hazards:
Even the pigs wouldn't touch these red-hot chillies:
Where I turned around:
Luang Namtha:
Boys practicing their aim for Songkran:
The hotel was good value and otherwise clean, but the sheet was yellow on one side and white on the other ... and those wrinkles were there before I sat on the bed.
Highway from Luang Namtha to Houei Xai:
All "road kill" I saw on the trip was in Laos. I found Lao drivers courteous and unaggressive, but they must have a drinking or fatigue problem to go "off road" so often.
I'm going to miss these highways:
Houei Xai:
Thailand on the other side:
Climb the stairs to the Temple of Customs ... that really is customs up there.
The rear wheels of the truck dropped into the gap between the road and the ferry gate, causing bags of cement to slide off the back of the truck. Another half hour sitting under the hot sun as this was resolved. The truck barely made it off the ferry. Total border crossing time, including waiting for the ferry: four and a half hours:
Phitsanulok:
Phitsanulok to Kanchanaburi:
The Garmin Southeast Asia map thinks this is a secondary highway:
I thought I'd try a shortcut through Phutoei National Park:
But the road turned to a traffic-free track which got narrower and darker while the gumbo got deeper. 40 km more of this at 5 km/h with only a couple of liters of water on hand did not seem like a smart idea. So I turned around and went the (slightly) longer way.
That's better!
Kanchanaburi:
The River Kwai:
The (replacement) bridge over the river Kwai:
The war cemetery, where 7,000 POWs rest, mostly Australian, Dutch, and British.
The resort - $50 off-season:
Kanchanburi to Hua Hin:
This is not a highway; it's a landfill site next to the highway that caught my eye. One man's garbage is another man's photo-op:
Surat Thani to Hat Yai:
Rubber plantation just south of Surat Thani:
Good souvenirs - pity most of them would be illegal to bring in to Singapore:
Other than the clutch failure requiring a diversion to Bangkok and the flat tire, requiring replacement in Chiang Mai, I encountered no problems. The petrol reserve light never came on, the bike didn't fall over, and neither did I. I was never stopped by the police nor was I hit up for bribes at border crossings. I used the Garmin SE Asia map for Thailand and the GT Rider Laos map for Laos. For Cambodia I plotted the routes on Google Maps and converted the routes to Garmin tracks (GPX files), which could then be followed using my Garmin Oregon. This worked very well.
The final itinerary (hotel nights per city) was:
1 Hat Yai
2 Koh Samui
2 Hua Hin
1 Pattaya
1 Koh Kong
3 Sihanoukville
4 Phnom Penh
6 Siem Reap
1 Surin
2 Khon Kaen
1 Nakhon Phanom
1 Bueng Kan
3 Bangkok
1 Udon Thani
2 Vientiane
1 Vang Vieng
1 Phonsavan
2 Luang Prabang
1 Luang Namtha
1 Chiang Rai
5 Chiang Mai (Songkran)
1 Phitsanulok
1 Kanchanaburi
1 Hua Hin
1 Surat Thani
1 Hat Yai
47 Total Hotel Nights
26 Total Riding Days
I'd be happy to answer queries or pass on any other information which may be useful.
O Smach:
Border crossing back to Thailand. Almost no traffic on this route. Efficient, quick, and friendly on both sides. Total border crossing time about 20 minutes:
The bike was an attention-getter. One man asked me what the bike cost. When I told him about US$5,000, he exclaimed, "You can by a tuktuk for that!"
The King's choice: Canon G9. These photos were taken with the same camera (G11):
Surin:
The elephants' graveyard for expats:
Highway from Surin to Khon Kaen:
It would be tempting to roll on the throttle, but you can't see what lies beyond the dips:
Hazards like this:
Khon Kaen:
The Pullman, formerly the Sofitel. My hotels cost from $10 to $150, this one being at the higher end.
A bar in Khon Kaen, between the my hotel and the shopping mall. What a great concept!
Khon Kaen is also a popular expat retirement destination:
Nakhon Phanom:
It seemed a clean and cheerful place:
Highway from Nakhon Phanom to Bueng Kan
Breakdown:
Then the clutch broke, fortunately on the Thai side of the Mekong, just 4 km before the ferry. At first I thought it was the clutch cable, and smiled because I carry a spare with me. Then I saw this piece lying on the ground:
I was still relaxed for awhile because I thought it would be an easy part to replace; I'd just have to wait around in Bueng Kan while I had the part FedExed to me, then I'd install it myself. So I rode the clutchless bike (not easy!) to a hotel in Bueng Kan, checked in, did some internet research to determine the part number, and called the dealers in Singapore and Bangkok. I learned that the part was not available in Thailand or Singapore and would take 7-10 days to arrive at a dealer. The dealer in Bangkok said that this was only the second time that they had ordered this part.
It also turned out that replacement of the part requires the swingarm and shaft drive to be pulled back several inches, which requires a workshop, a large socket wrench, a heat gun, and a torque wrench; these did not seem to be available in Bueng Kan. The part is obscured by the drive train and ordinary tools cannot even reach it. Prior to 1994, replacement of this part (nearly identical on all boxers for over thirty years) could be done with the tools in the tool kit in five minutes; after 2000 the part was eliminated when BMW introduced a hydraulic clutch. Just my luck that this is a 1998 bike!
The nearest airport to Bueng Kan is in Udon Thani, 200km distant. So the safest and cheapest solution was to hire a truck (S$800) to take the bike and me to Bangkok, leave the bike there, and fly home (S$70) until it was ready. The staff at The One hotel in Bueng Kan found a truck for me for the following morning, and were very helpful. The drive to Bangkok took twelve hours, and by evening my driver was popping caffeine (or perhaps Benzedrine) pills. The GPS was essential to guide the driver once we reached the periphery of Bangkok. My driver, who is 60, drove skillfully, and spoke only Thai and Isaan/Lao:
Lunch with my driver on the way - duck tongues! They are eaten like escargot - just pull the beak open, drag out the tongue with great force, and chew it like a block of rubber. I didn't try one! I ate rice:
This is a three-wheeled motorcycle near Bangkok, ridden while looking out the hole in the front. Note the driver grooming himself in the rear-view mirror:
Udon Thani:
I was back on the road about a month later. The bike repair took less than two weeks, but I needed to stay longer in Singapore due to a previous commitment before picking up the bike in Bangkok and resuming the ride.
Bueng Kan/Pakxan:
The Thai side of the Mekong. I assumed that I'd have to pay a penalty for failing to export the bike within the required time frame, but the customs man didn't care and I was through the Thai side of the border quickly. Like O Smach, there was hardly any traffic at this crossing and the staff were efficient and friendly:
The ferry to Pakxan.
It took some clutch smoking to ride the bike from the muddy downward slope up and onto the ferry ramp, as you can see from the truck doing it. The R1100R has only a 17 inch front wheel; it would have been much easier on a BMW GS model with its 19 inch front wheel.
Pakxan border crossing, Lao side.
Even though I already had a visa (from Singapore) I had to wait one hour while the staff ate lunch before I could be processed. Then the woman worked hard to generate the import paper for the motorcycle. Total border crossing time, including waiting for the ferry: About four hours:
Meanwhile her colleagues did nothing; in the room next door the man is playing a computer game and the other woman is watching TV:
Highway from Pakxan to Vientiane:
Vientiane:
My hotel (Sengtawan Riverside) on the left, with underground parking:
The People's Security Museum, into which people are not permitted, perhaps for security reasons. It is closed to the public.
One of countless wats in Vientiane:
Nothing moves quickly in Laos:
The lively night market:
Everyone is a millionaire in Laos:
I'm not a foodie (three clean "nourishment intervals" a day are all I need), but I enjoyed the food in this Frenchman's (the man on the left below) Alsace restaurant. This was the first course of a three-course meal costing just a few dollars:
Highway from Vientiane to Vang Vieng:
Note the Tiger Beer advertisement sponsoring the highway sign:
Watch out for the dips where the pavement ends, sometimes every few hundred meters. Just when you think the going is good, you have to hit the brakes:
Lao are a generally cheerful and friendly folk:
Vang Vieng:
Vang Vieng is so given to tourism it's as though a resort corporation bought the town, added hippie theme park decoration, vendor kiosks, bars, and restaurants all offering the same low-end products and services; evicted all the villagers; and hired them all back as shopkeepers, waitresses, and masseuses to serve all the backpackers. I'll be back!
Beerlao seems to have a monopoly on signage:
Appetizers on the menu:
Highway from Vang Vieng to Phonsavan:
Morning rush hour:
The road to the viewpoint:
The viewpoint at 1500m. At last, cool temperature!
These ladies thought I must be a dashing hero for riding alone from Singapore on a motorcycle. They took turns taking their photo next to me. I felt like Goofy at Disneyland, or Brian in "The Life of Brian."
But these children were less than impressed:
That's the road down there:
With some of it stuck here:
Phonsavan:
The Nice Hotel, with motorcycle parked behind the gate:
The rooms are adequate, for one night:
Plain of Jars, outside:
And inside:
Highway from Phonsavan to Luang Prabang:
Highway 7 and parts of Highway 13 are at least as good a ride as the Mae Hong Son loop in north Thailand, and more scenic:
Every home has its satellite dish:
I encountered hardly any rain during the weeks on the road. This was it:
Flat tire, resolved with the "Stop & Go" tire plugger:
Luang Prabang:
Public market:
Nearly a week to go to Songkran, and already the water madness is starting:
Highway from Luang Prabang to Luang Namtha:
The 70 km from Muang Xai to Ban Ai One was mostly a rocky dirt road because most of the pavement had washed away. It took several hours to cover that distance in first and second gear. After Ban Ai One, the pavement was absolutely perfect - even with a nicely painted dotted line, the first I'd seen in days.
Pigs were common and dangerous (if hit) road hazards:
Even the pigs wouldn't touch these red-hot chillies:
Where I turned around:
Luang Namtha:
Boys practicing their aim for Songkran:
The hotel was good value and otherwise clean, but the sheet was yellow on one side and white on the other ... and those wrinkles were there before I sat on the bed.
Highway from Luang Namtha to Houei Xai:
All "road kill" I saw on the trip was in Laos. I found Lao drivers courteous and unaggressive, but they must have a drinking or fatigue problem to go "off road" so often.
I'm going to miss these highways:
Houei Xai:
Thailand on the other side:
Climb the stairs to the Temple of Customs ... that really is customs up there.
The rear wheels of the truck dropped into the gap between the road and the ferry gate, causing bags of cement to slide off the back of the truck. Another half hour sitting under the hot sun as this was resolved. The truck barely made it off the ferry. Total border crossing time, including waiting for the ferry: four and a half hours:
Phitsanulok:
Phitsanulok to Kanchanaburi:
The Garmin Southeast Asia map thinks this is a secondary highway:
I thought I'd try a shortcut through Phutoei National Park:
But the road turned to a traffic-free track which got narrower and darker while the gumbo got deeper. 40 km more of this at 5 km/h with only a couple of liters of water on hand did not seem like a smart idea. So I turned around and went the (slightly) longer way.
That's better!
Kanchanaburi:
The River Kwai:
The (replacement) bridge over the river Kwai:
The war cemetery, where 7,000 POWs rest, mostly Australian, Dutch, and British.
The resort - $50 off-season:
Kanchanburi to Hua Hin:
This is not a highway; it's a landfill site next to the highway that caught my eye. One man's garbage is another man's photo-op:
Surat Thani to Hat Yai:
Rubber plantation just south of Surat Thani:
Good souvenirs - pity most of them would be illegal to bring in to Singapore:
Other than the clutch failure requiring a diversion to Bangkok and the flat tire, requiring replacement in Chiang Mai, I encountered no problems. The petrol reserve light never came on, the bike didn't fall over, and neither did I. I was never stopped by the police nor was I hit up for bribes at border crossings. I used the Garmin SE Asia map for Thailand and the GT Rider Laos map for Laos. For Cambodia I plotted the routes on Google Maps and converted the routes to Garmin tracks (GPX files), which could then be followed using my Garmin Oregon. This worked very well.
The final itinerary (hotel nights per city) was:
1 Hat Yai
2 Koh Samui
2 Hua Hin
1 Pattaya
1 Koh Kong
3 Sihanoukville
4 Phnom Penh
6 Siem Reap
1 Surin
2 Khon Kaen
1 Nakhon Phanom
1 Bueng Kan
3 Bangkok
1 Udon Thani
2 Vientiane
1 Vang Vieng
1 Phonsavan
2 Luang Prabang
1 Luang Namtha
1 Chiang Rai
5 Chiang Mai (Songkran)
1 Phitsanulok
1 Kanchanaburi
1 Hua Hin
1 Surat Thani
1 Hat Yai
47 Total Hotel Nights
26 Total Riding Days
I'd be happy to answer queries or pass on any other information which may be useful.
