papa go Laos.

[Sirpia]

You're definitely inspiring me to do this.

Thanks for the clear and precise hands-on information.

[AllanB]

You're definitely inspiring me to do this.

Thanks for the clear and precise hands-on information.

Me too..............

[guzzi850m2]

So papa al how do you do it money wise, ATM or pocket full of Thai Baht?

[Briggsy]

He posted earlier he withdrew a million Laos Kip (4000 Baht) from an ATM somewhere, Savannakhet, maybe, using his Thai debit card, if I recall correctly.

[ll2]

Can use any debit card in laos provided that it has visa or mastercard amblem on it. Some atms give money only visa cards.

[papa al]

Dec 3.

Hung out at Luang Probang today.

Population 50,000, the second largest town in Laos likely.

Was the capital in the olden days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luang_Prabang

This place is full of tourists from everywhere doing the kayak, raft, longboat, tribal village, elephant, waterfall, cave, temple, eat, drink, shop things.

Old town area has nice paver sidewalks & such.

Reminds me of a mix of Antigua Guatamala and Chiang Mai

Tuk tuk guys touting lady for boom boom, ganga, as well as transport.

To rent a bike 24 hrs. costs:

2000baht for CFR250; 250baht for wave-clone100cc.

I finally got mine washed.

[ktm jeff]

THIS is why im moving to Thailand !. So much negativity towards bikers in England nowadays. Enjoy the trip papa.

[papa al]

I went down to the old street which was closed off in favor of hundreds of venders with fantastic crafted products.

I dunno if this was a special or regular thing.

A few were selling items crafted from UXO.

I'm signed up for $41 all day kayak/cave/2-village tour @0830.

So on the 5th, northward ho!

[garryjohns]

I went down to the old street which was closed off in favor of hundreds of venders with fantastic crafted products.

I dunno if this was a special or regular thing.

A few were selling items crafted from UXO.

I'm signed up for $41 all day kayak/cave/2-village tour @0830.

So on the 5th, northward ho!

I'm truely inspired by your trip.

T

I'm taking in the details as you go hoping that when we get over to Chiang Mai area that we may do similar.

[Sirpia]

I went down to the old street which was closed off in favor of hundreds of venders with fantastic crafted products.

I dunno if this was a special or regular thing.

A few were selling items crafted from UXO.

I'm signed up for $41 all day kayak/cave/2-village tour @0830.

So on the 5th, northward ho!

I'm truely inspired by your trip.

T

I'm taking in the details as you go hoping that when we get over to Chiang Mai area that we may do similar.

I'm thinking the same.

The next few weeks break I get I'll be looking at heading over and maybe entering at Mukdahan, then I don't know, spending a week or two touring the country. Maybe returning at Vientiane/Nong Khai.

You're doing some great work Papa, well done and thanks.

[Briggsy]

Sirpia, if you want to enter Laos with a motorbike, latest reports are you cannot enter at Mukdahan as motorbikes are not allowed to enter Laos via the bridge there. You can however exit there. Go figure.

[papa al]

Jan 5 evening ( I just noticed I was signing in ‘Dec' before, haha)

Yesterday I enjoyed a 20 km kayak trip on the Nam Ou and Mekong rivers.

A few small gardens along the sandy banks trying peanuts, onion, garlic.

Middle-sized elephant foraging else where.

Visited a religious cave with thousands, mostly small, Buddha figures, many hundreds old years old.

Stopped at village where they distilled rice whisky, up to 100 proof.

I’m in Luang Namtha, northern Laos, not far from China.

A long 350 km today, all in mountainous terrain…mostly rt 13.

The first third was old paved road with many ban along the route.

Stopped for a snack at a little restaurant and noticed, in the fast stream behind, small netted enclosures with fish and even frogs being raised.

The middle 1/3rd was bad pavement, no pavement and construction.

‘USA’ is scratched in a cement gutter somewhere with a good view.

Almost lost it twice at slow speeds, once in deep dust an once on mud slicked pavement.

Had to foot jab.

Last part was good pavement and very winding.

One of the few direction signs in Laos.

In LN I checked into a nice looking guest house @300 baht.

The inn-keep had a hard time accepting that papa spoke or understood no Chinese.

Chinese guys shout when they talk.

Spitting on the floor in the restaurant is okay too.

None of the pork belly, chicken parts, fish, mystery meats, or eels in the cooler looked too appetizing,

but fried snow peas, green beans, & mushrooms with some sticky rice and 640ml of BeerLao filled the hole well enough.

The cooler holding the beer in the dining room was kept under lock and key.

So far, I’m not getting that ‘warm& fuzzy’.

Papa be putting alarm/disc brake on, and the cable around the pole and the baby tonight.

Edited January 6, 2015 by papa al

[taninthai]

Spitting on the floor in the restaurant was ok.....lol

[Shurup]

Spitting on the floor in the restaurant was ok.....lol

It's OK if you're Chinese.

I'd also be worrying leaving my bike unlocked if there were Chinese in the area, they'd even steal your bicycle if you were riding one!

Edited January 6, 2015 by Shurup

[Sirpia]

With every post I want to do this trip more and more. the next time I need a visa in the region I might just make a 2-4 week trip out of it.

[AllanB]

With every post I want to do this trip more and more. the next time I need a visa in the region I might just make a 2-4 week trip out of it.

Yes, I know what you mean, well i am looking at swapping my old NV for a CB300f so I have something new and bulletproof to do it on, but take the missus too later this year. She speaks the ling o too and we are only a 2-3 hours from two big borders.

About 3 weeks sounds good to me, with crowds of TV bikers lining the roads...What have you started Papa?

[Sirpia]

Papa for Thai Visa Biking Forum President.

[papa al]

Sirpia: I'm blushing.

Jan 6

Papa back in LOS.

The 178km schuss down from LN to the border was magnifico.

Two full lanes with lines and shoulders, passing lanes,

the few village habitations are set back from the pavement, scant traffic,

scenery++.

This is what we dream about boys & girls.

Crossing at Houei Xai, I was the only customer.

Everybody happy.

Laos fees 175,000kip (700baht); Thailand 0.

I've had PM suggestions to flesh out this travelog with more details, reports on person-to-person encounters,

anecdotes, &c.

I may do that at some point.

Laos; try it, you'll like it.

[ktm jeff]

Not only has papa caused us to reach for a map to seek out our own route , hes also caused a rush to the hardwear store , as we all try to replicate the rice still .

[AllanB]

Sirpia: I'm blushing.

Jan 6

Papa back in LOS.

The 178km schuss down from LN to the border was magnifico.

LN temple.JPGbuffalowing.JPGmt village.JPG

Two full lanes with lines and shoulders, passing lanes,

the few village habitations are set back from the pavement, scant traffic,

scenery++.

This is what we dream about boys & girls.

roads 1.JPGroad 3.JPGDirty girl.JPG

Crossing at Houei Xai, I was the only customer.

Everybody happy.

Laos fees 175,000kip (700baht); Thailand 0.

I've had PM suggestions to flesh out this travelog with more details, reports on person-to-person encounters,

anecdotes, &c.

I may do that at some point.

Laos; try it, you'll like it.

I like the red warning flag, good old Che Guevara, safer having him hanging on your ass, waving around.

[papa al]

Loas PDR is a communist country.

When in Rome....

[papa al]

I hoteled last night north of Phayao.

Gassed up with the 91 E10.

This AM once I was south of P, I was on Highway 1.

Do you like apples?

Sailing along at 120 seemed strange after Laotian mountain driving.

I sometimes refer to this bike as my mia noi.

A lot cheaper than the real thing of course.

But as we sped south still a million meters from home sweet hong,

I seemed to hear her say...

“Papa lay down.”

Huh?

“Papa lay down on me and hug me tight.”

Okay.

130

“papa, ride me hard. Yes. harder, faster oh ohh”

140

145

Fast enough?

“No papa, harder, faster, like no man has ever ridden me before.

XXXXXXXX"

We saw 152 on the speedo.

How do you like dem apples?

Edited January 7, 2015 by papa al

[Shurup]

Is it you papa?

[papa al]

Shurup: Very close.

Yesterday rode down to Nathon Nayok 800+km.

CBR150 is nice bike but the headlights really aren't siutable for night driving on the highway.

Can they be upgraded?

Mades it to Patts a little past noon.

Caught some rain.

~4500 km this trip.

All good.

[AllanB]

LED bulbs?

800km in a day....too much 4 me, glad you r back safe.

What did you use for comms on the trip?

[papa al]

I didn't use any condoms on the trip.

Dry time for papa.

[papa al]

Guest houses have Wifi these days, even in Laos.

[CMMCB]

Heard that daytime headlights are illegal in Laos. What does one do with a modern Thai motorbike with no headlight on/off switch? One friend said she taped cardboard over hers!

[DILLIGAD]

That's true for Cambodia. Most people tape it over but heat from the light might need to be considered.

[papa al]

Day-lights are a tea-money ($1) problem in Cambodia.

Laos, I doubt it.

Never saw a cop.

And oddly, I never saw a Nouvo nor a Wave125, two of our most popular models.

There are maybe 1% of the cars and pickup trucks on the roads there vs Thailand,

2% of the big trucks and busses, <5% of the small bikes.

90% are Wave 100cc. A Wave110fi or Click is status there. Zoomer = ++.

Sabai mak mak.

Lack of traffic is my fav thing about the place.

------------------------------------------------------

And, and, I beat the pants off of one of purty new 150cc Yamahas @ a green light yesterday.

Had him by maybe 6 lengths when I backed off shifting into 5th.

Old/old > young/new. He was tryin'. & smilin'.

My first drag race since 1967.

16Kkm and I believe she's just now broken in.

Her prev owner lived on Samui so she never saw 80, nor the outside world.

Free at last.