Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/586302
the walls weren't closing in, that of course I could still breathe, that of course we weren't going to get lost and die in the gulping darkness. "What's that blub-blub-blub noise?" I asked. Pat gestured to where his feet were sud- denly bathed in bubbling water. "We've sprung a leak." "We've what?" Fortunately, our guide was on top of the situation. Using what appeared to be a wooden doorstop, he poked thin strips of bubble wrap into the boat's wound. "Looks like the traditional Laotian repa- ration methods are still in effect," quipped Pat sarcastically. Shortly afterwards, we ran ashore. As Pat and the guide dislodged the boat, I hovered apprehensively in shin-deep water and eyed the bats dangling overhead like folded umbrellas. We clambered back into our grad- ually sinking vessel and made for the light at the end of the tunnel. I was elated when we finally reunited with the rickety bike and let it whisk us away on the open road. The asphalt first flanked and then delved toward the crags and spires of the black mountains. We screamed around hairpin curves until we reached the summit and were rewarded by a vision of Laos sprawling below. Standing more than one metre tall, shrines modelled after traditional Buddhist temples peeked out from the mossy brush with offerings of marigold heads and orange juice spilling from their mantels. After cov- ering another 80 kilometres that afternoon, we arrived in Vieng Kham. We supped at a roadside restaurant where transport trucks lumbered past with regularity, rattling the tables and spilling our pho. During the first three days, the weather had been ideal: filled with warm zephyrs and rosy afternoons. The fourth, however, brought biting gales and churning clouds. Determined to beat the rains, we tackled the final 145 kilometres with fierce intent. For- tunately for us, the passing scenery offered nothing novel, save for the aftermath of a couple of nasty car crashes. When we finally clunked back into Thakhek, it was with aching muscles and dusty smiles, and all of our body parts accounted for. Despite travelling during the high season, we encountered only a couple of other tourists en route. The total cost between us (including the bike from Wang Wang Rental, guesthouses, meals and at least one large, sweating bottle of Beerlao per day) was 965,000 kip, or $132 CAD— quite the remarkable deal for such a whimsical adventure. DREAMSCAPES FALL/ WINTER 2015 54 T R A V E L P L A N N E R For more information on Laos, visit tourismlaos.org. All travellers to Laos must possess valid passports. Tourist/ business visas are valid for 30 days and can be obtained from Lao embassies and consulates abroad as well as on arrival at the international checkpoints. DS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Passing locals smile and wave while transporting what is most likely sugarcane. Sue Bedford An old colonial-style building in Thakhek reflects a time when Laos was a French protectorate. BThaiMan/Shutterstock.com