The Road To Laos With a CRF250 and OSMAND Pt1

[Gnasher328]

Chiang Mai - Phayao - Chiang Kham

Great ride to Chiang Kham via Phayao with a coffee stop at the convieniently placed 9-1 and lunch at one of my favourite Phayao lakeside eateries.



There was a handy hotel at the lights in Chiang Kham about 1km past the big Tesco. Basic but clean, quiet at the back and only 400B. I couldn't find anything in the way of a restaurant handy but there was a noodle shop next door which provided a surprisingly nice and satisfying fill.





Chiang Kham - Chiang Klang - (Huai Kon?) - Ban Nangeunl/Nguen - Pakbeng

I made an early start in case of problems at the border. Couldn't see anything handy for brekkie and didn't really fancy noodles again so headed off into the chilly morning on an empty stomach, must remember to get some basic road food and coffee sticks. The scenery took my mind off the lack of caffeine, and it was a job to keep my eyes on the road and avoid becoming part of said scenery.

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After an hour or so I was glad to see a coffee shop in a little town called Ban Song Kawae with a diner next door where I got a chance to practice my 'Cow Pad Moo'.
As I neared the border the number of large lorries increased on the completely unsuitable mountain road - so much so I saw one or two broken down and one jacknifed into the ditch.
At least they were easy to overtake on the hills as they struggled up at walking pace with engines howling.
I arrived at the border post and found somewhere to park between the big new customs building on the right and the passport control shack/caravans near the bottom. A gent in uniform was passing and indicated I should go first to the emmigration office, then to the customs office. The emmigration officer took my passport and asked where the departure card was. Oh bollocks, thinking of it as an airport thing it was back in CM with my air tickets. I told him I had lost it and asked what I could do. He said I needed to go to the main local police station which was probably about an hour back down the road, but as I resignedly turned to go he called be back, gave me a stern ticking off, and proceeded to modify an 'in' card to an 'out' card. Another lucky day, I considered giving him a couple of hundred Baht for a beer on me but thought he might be insulted so I just thanked him profusely with a look like a schoolboy in the head's office. In the customs office they said I needed three copies of everything, bike passport, my passport and green book. I already had one or two copies but he also wanted the tax/insurance stamp page which I hadn't thought of so I just went to the shop next door and got a new bundle to keep him happy. A short wait in the que again and another officer who didn't seem to be doing much beckoned me over, went through the documents with a fine tooth comb then drew up the necessary export doc. Then it was back to emmigration for their stamps and signatures and I was free to head over the border. I think in the end they only actually used one copy of each doc, I came back with a thick wad.
I was surprised to find there was a k or so of no man's land before the Laos post. At the barrier it was indicated I should leave the bike just 'outside', then it was a repeat of the immigration-visa-immigration then customs again. I had the correct amount of dollars, think it was 30, and customs charged me 100Bht. I asked about the insurance I needed and was gestured 'in town', so off I went down the road, constantly reminding myself to ride on the right and wondering how easy it would be to find an insurance office. Luckily the long que of lorries seemed to have their own arrangements and it only took around an hour each side, of course it would have been quicker if I had all the correct docs.
About 500m down the hill I passed what looked like food shacks but noticed an insurance like poster on one so I turned round and after a bit of sign language and pointing left with 14 days insurance 35000 LAK lighter.
It was mid afternoon now so I decided to head for Pakbeng which was fairly close and I had heard of often so figured it should be easy to get accommodation there.



The road was surprisingly good but there was evidence of numerous landslides which had been cleared or repaired. I saw a lorry stopped with scrap metal spread around the front and was concerned it might have hit a bike, but as I passed I saw it was bits of engine and gearbox undergoing major surgery.
I was quite pleased with the good progress, then the road turned to sand as it rounded a downhill corner and I saw a broad river - very pretty but where's the bridge?



There seemed to be a handfull of vehicles on the bank and I saw a ferry on the other side so I headed down to join them. The sandy slope looked a bit daunting but the knobbly tyred CRF took it in it's stride.



I wondered what the schedule was and how much time it would take but the ferry was pottering backwards and forwards continually and soon I was cruising across after handing over 30000LAK.



Another sandy slope up the bank looked even more daunting but the bike just chugged on up with no drama at all.



The only drawback was thet I was last off, and enveloped in a cloud of choking blinding dust, which was going to be a regular theme for the rest of the trip. Pulling to one side untill I could see again I put on the 'smog mask' I had bought, an essential item for Laos touring. Soon I saw a sign for Pakbeng and turned off down a rutted track. About a k later I arived in the village and realised I had gone in the 'back way' - there was a nice road leading out the other way. The place was very picturesque but if it I had known what the next couple of days held in store and it had been earlier I would have followed the road straight out again.

P.S - Apologies for duplicate pics, decided to move them, now can't delete originals. Moderators feel free!

 

[2wheels]

Glad you've found a quiet secluded spot for doing this report Tim; it's gonna be a good one.

 

[KTMphil]

Great stuff Tim, thanks for taking the time to do this.

 

[Gnasher328]

Pt2 - Pakbeng and the Opium Trial.

Coming down the trail into the village I rode up the hill into what I guessed was the main part, which was lined with guest houses and restaurants.



In a few hundred mtrs they thinned out so I turned round and stopped at one near the bottom and the dock. It had a nice balcony overlooking the river and seemed as good a bet as any of the others. They had a very basic room for 100k LAK, large hard bed which I could only walk round sideways and uncloseable 'windows' overlooking the river. I dithered a bit and he gave me a 'discount' to 90kL.





I cleaned and showered then went for a beer and a wander. First impressions were good as the sun went down over the river, beautiful. Pity about the hideous eysore billboard though.







Then I went in search of food. The restaurants were pot luck like the G/H's and now full of groups from the boats but I had heard of one which did good curries so I plumped for that. It was getting chilly, and people were sitting around in heavy fleeces and hoodies, it was almost too cold for beer but I was sure a good curry would warm me up. Or not - the meal was cold and insipid, dumbed down for farangs. Disappointed I went in search of a proper bar , then not finding one headed back to my sparse room for the night. By this time the boaters had retired and it was dead quiet, and as I wandered down the hill I had various suspicious characters sidle up to me and say in a low voice things like "psst - drugs/waccy baccy/opium/women". Well, the only white powder I stick up my nose these days is salt for sinus problems so I declined but some of them were a bit reluctant to take no for an answer.
I reached my GH and glanced across at the trusty ol' CRF, and there it was - gone. I did a double take, then a trebble take and wandered up and down the street a bit. No CRF to be seen, so I decided to raise the manager who was sleeping in a curtained off area behind the reception desk on a mattress with his missus and sprog. He blearily parted the curtains and I began gesticulating 'bike - gone'. He gesticulated back 'friends bar down road, safe'. I guessed I had to take his word for it, and wondering just what this place was really like if the locals were that worried, went to bed with uneasy thoughts of river pirates or chainsaw wielding hillbillies in funny trousers descending from the hills to a backing of 'Duelling Banjoes'. Actually the next day I noticed the local from the bar opposite extracting his step-through from a secure 'cage' beneath the access steps.
The next day dawned and started nicely as the mist lifted -



After locating my bike in the bar next door, with a good brekky on the veranda for 30kL, nice bread and a sensible amount of butter and jam instead of those silly punnets you usually get, the mood subdued a bit when I was then charged 30kL for a large bottle of water for my room.



I decided to go for a stroll further up the hill after breakfast then have lunch and make plans for the next few days. By now the boaters had all departed and the place was revealed in it's full glory. The further up the hill I went the more dilapidated the buildings became and the amount of rubbish increased until it took on the aura - and aroma of a shanty town. Well actually the aroma was pretty much all over. I reached what seemed like 'city limits' but although quite high by now the road had moved away from the river and the view was fairly obstructed so I turned round to get on with some planning. By now it was getting warm so I stopped and bought a bottle of water. I was half way down the hill and half way through it when I reflected the the top had been unusually easy to get off and I hadn't noticed a seal -hmm. Starting to conclude that Pakbeng is a real hole, atering for a captive audience of tourists from Mekong boat trip so expensive and mediocre.
I selected a reasonable looking place for a light lunch and had one of my lunch time favourites the reliable 'Khaow Pad Moo'. Unfortunately, this also seemed to have been modified by mixing it with tomato sauce. Hoping to improve it a bit I asked for the usual little dish of chillies and proceeded to dump most of it on the meal, sort of worked.
I went back and started on planning etc and shortly noticed a bit of indigestion. Hmm, must of overdone the chillies. Soon I started to feel weak, achey, dizzy and generaly ill. Bugger - this isn't just a few chillies.
The afternoon and evening passed in a blur of 'orribleness and incoherent worry about being stuck in this craphole on my own, how bad it was going to get and for how long.

Next - Little China

 

[2wheels]

P.S - Apologies for duplicate pics, decided to move them, now can't delete originals. Moderators feel free!

Sorted!