The Golden Triangle Rider

[bobstaal]

i'm really happy today!
finally left chiang mai to chiang khong on saturady afternoon, rrived in chiang khong around 8pm.
On sunday the customs office was closed and on monday the ferry didn't go out cause labor day.
Today i left with the ferry on 10 am and left huai xai around eleven. The road to luang namtha was great!
The bike drove really nice and the road wasn't that bad..
some muddy spots but not a lot.
Arrived in luang namtha at6.30.
Pictures are comming soon and reports ass well

[filip-gsa]

Hello Bob
Nice to hear you are in Lao. How many kilometers of the road to Luang Namtha was already finished? We took that way in februari and than there was only 6 km finished. Is everything okay with your motorbike?
Filip

[bobstaal]

hello filip!
Think about 2 times 20km but i'm not really sure cause i didn't reaklly watch my meter.
The bike drove great! T
oday i ran out of gasoline and really enjoyed a 16km walk over the nice asfalt to the gas station. lao gasoline is more expensive then thai?? greets bob

[filip-gsa]

Hi Bob,
What are the next playces to walk to? You will have to change your shoes before the tires of your bike I think. Have a great time in Lao and let me know your experiences. See you, Filip

[bobstaal]

bought shoes before i left
After luang namtha i wanted to go to pohngsali via the dirt track, but ther was no road further on.
So i drove to udom xai.
The next day i started my journey to pohngsali..
missed a turn, so did a extra 60km!
Then finally on the way to pohngsali..
it started to storm twice!! everything wet.
When the night was falling i passed boun tai,
wanted to put up my tent..
butmy tent already jumped off some other place
so i had to turn back to pick it up.. it was a cold night!
anyway.. the next day i came in pohngsali stayed in a hotel..
and in teh evening i got drunk with some lao-vietnam mecanics.
The next morning i left again for udom xai..
stayed in the same chinese hotel 30.000 kip.. dubble room with tv! This morning i drove of for luang prabang where i am now.
Maybe stay another day here before hidding for the lake near vientienne and then back to thailand i think. greats bob

[Davidfl]

Bob
The GT Rider map has no dirt trail to Phongsali, plus it has accurate kms from Oudom Xai to Phongsali via routes 2E & 18.
So curious which map are you using?
Meanwhile enjoy Luang Prabang, one of my favourite towns. Check out Tad Xe waterfall just south of town.
If you're leaving from Vte via the Friendship Bridge, pls say hello to Miss Khampean upstairs in Room # 6.

Davidfl
Keep The Power On

[el jefe]

Rte 18 was not paved north from Sin Xai when I was there in January. I didn't go far though and went to Muang Khua instead.

[bobstaal]

i used two maps.. the gt-rider and anotherone i bought in back home. on that map they showed a track from just before meochai to boun tai. but i did not find it.. a short way. Maybe i had to cross the river to the right!? the wauy from sin xai up to pohngsali was pritty hard. the rocks in really ate my wheels. Lost my tent on the way, but turned back and camped one night. i'm now in vientianne. went to an vieng aslwell. the rainy season is starting i think.. had a copple of storms. greets bob