We were in Luang Nam Tha for a couple of nights. It was the first place that we have stayed that had a TV. For the most part we have been staying in the least expensive places that we can find. Most consist of two or three beds and a fan. In most places there has been a communal bathroom outside of our room. But in Luang Nam Tha we had a shower with hot water and cable TV. We stayed up watching HBO on our first night and did not get onto our bikes until later in the day. We took it pretty easy all day and just rode around town and to a near by temple.
I found a new way to ride my bike with the Xtracycle on it, but I do not think it will be too efficient in the mountains.
I spotted a little walking trail down one of the banks near the temple that looked like it would be easy to ride down. I think the pictures turned out pretty good. The dirt here kind of reminds me of the dirt at Bootleg Canyon.
The second day we woke up ate some breakfast and rode out to a waterfall. The ride to the waterfall was more rewarding than the waterfall and we did not stay for long. The weather took a turn for the worst, I am pretty sure it was the first day of rain I have seen since I left Taiwan.
Our most strenuous day was the three hundred kilometre bus ride from Luang Nam Tha to Luang Pra Bang that took around ten hours. The road was pretty bad and the bus stopped every couple of kilometres to pick up or drop off a local. When we arrived we found the cheapest guest house we could find a hit the local market for dinner. This morning was spent looking for a better guest house, which we could not find for a decent price. We spent the rest of the day riding to the Phousy Market and in search of a waterfall, which we never found.
The ride in search of the waterfall was worth it. We passed two local boys who found an interesting way to bath in a road side creek. We also passed a woman working in a field with her transportation parked at the side of the road. I wonder if my Xtracycle could be attached to her bike?
We took a bunch of pictures today. I picked out the ones that I think turned out the best. We are heading to a waterfall tomorrow (if we can find it) that is supposed to be pretty amazing. It will be a 35 kilometre ride to get there. I am looking forward to getting back out onto the road. The plan is to hang out here for another day or two and then start the four hundred kilometre ride to Vientiane, with several stops along the way I am sure. Enjoy the pictures.
Rob, James, Morgan
