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They color it with butterfly pea flowers, which are an intense dark blue, no doubt you've seen them.
3 years agoWhat the actual hell. Yes, where indeed did they get that idea? Everything the US could have done with Myanmar got completely derailed with this last administration. What a wasted opportunity.
3 years agoJust read the terrible news that Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained by the Military on top of the recent talk that the Military were looking to stage a coup because of a rigged election (I wonder where they got that idea from?). So sad for the beautiful people.
As you would know - the people are the highlight for cycling in Myanmar. SO SAD!
And you still had the big climb ahead of you. Coming the other way I had the climb early when it was cool. I was very fit by that stage of my trip - would like to be that fit now. Am looking to ride Adelaide to Darwin starting mid March - that will get me fit again.
3 years agoYes, it was certainly a beautiful ride through the little Mountains that day for sure. The whole route from Nong Khai to Dan Sai was exceptional but this day was my favourite for the whole trip
3 years agoA definite Oasis! It was super hot the day we rode this section and we definitely were not as fit as you.
3 years agoProbably my favorite riding day of our trip last year (opposite direction).
3 years agoI think the marketing is mostly towards upper middle-class Thai tourists, similar to the walking street in Chiang Khaen. Our whole time in Thailand (pre-covid) was that foreign tourism seemed way down and the Thais themselves were pretty subdued as well. Lots of reasons for that.
3 years ago100% agree, Andrew. Laos has been sold to China.
3 years agoI remember reading one journal where the cyclist stayed in a tent in one of those places. I don't see the point when the Hotels/Guesthouses are so cheap and good quality - unless of course you are on a very tight budget.
3 years agoI had two trips thru Nthn Laos in mid 2000's. I remember me an a pommie cyclist were in an eatery in Luang Nam Tha and a falang with a 4WD pulled up outside and he came in to eat. We asked him what he was doing here and he was part of a new dam being built but clearly didn't want to talk about it. I knew there was a lot of adverse reaction from foreigners esp about damming the rivers but didn't get involved - there was arguments on both sides. Getting electricity to the remote villages was a positive but I could certainly see the upcoming issues with damming all of these Rivers and that has certainly been the case. About a year ago I remember reading about the Nam Ou river which flows into the Mekong at Luang Prabang wasn't flowing at all and the Mekong flowing through that City was only trickling past. Yes, electricity to the communities is a positive but selling your soul to China and losing the rivers which are the life blood to so many millions is very dangerous. Reckon too that a lot of the money/bribes that China would have payed to the Laos regime would have gone into the pockets of the head honchos and not filtered down to the people. Cambodia have also sold their soul to China around Sihanoukville and are now paying that price. Scary. Glad I saw a lot of those places years ago.
3 years agoI had read my comment to Bruce who remarked (this is before your reply) that Julian is a dick, hahaha.
3 years agoThe karaoke in Vietnam is pure toxic waste.
3 years agoI reckon the Vietnamese were worse esp at their weddings - man, how can you enjoy music when it is so loud?
3 years ago
Thanks Andrea, excellent feedback.
3 years ago