Kasi to Vang Vieng

Friday 20/12/13, 55km

Not the best nights sleep, the curtains were practically nonexistent and there was a light outside. Still up at early o'clock though so I read my ridiculous book for a bit. Started making notes on the more egregious errors now (Buddha born in 553AD? Sure you don't mean BC? No, you are sure as you say 1500 years ago).

Only breakfast on offer was noodle soup with chicken so I went for the vegetarian option, a packet of coconut biscuits and a coffee. Worked for me!

Coffee slurped, biscuits munched and obligatory green tea sipped I set off. Less than a kilometer down the road I bumped into an American couple (John and Alison) cycling the other way and naturally we stopped for a quick chat. After a couple of minutes they realised they'd been following my blog on crazyguyonabike.com... you didn't know I had two blogs did you? Crazyguy is a site by and for cycle tourists, so generally I just cross post from here with a minor tweak occasionally. It's a great source of information and of course, it helps others when you post to it!

Pleasantries exchanged we headed off our separate ways on a misty morning. The sun burnt the mist off in an hour or so and I was going at a leisurely pace as it was to be a short day. Once I left the Kasi area I got one last little hill and into a valley cutting through towering limestone hills. The roadside was full of ladies selling oranges so I stopped to get a kilo (13000 kip!). Nice and welcome as I hadn't bothered to pack any food for the trip preferring to wait for lunch in Vang Vieng.

Rolled into Vang Vieng around 1pm and headed for the Jammee guesthouse, recommended to me by an Italian cyclist I'd met earlier in the day. Coincidentally it was number 2 on the TripAdvisor list for the town. Bit difficult to find but worth it, got a beautiful room with balcony and breakfast for 80000 kip.

Grabbed lunch, showered and then had a wonder around. Bit of an odd mix. Beautiful setting around a slightly shabby travellers place. Shall have to see what it's like. And talking of seeing, I saw six people I'd bumped into previously on my travels... Including James the English chap I first bumped into a month ago in Haiphong and Kirk the Belgian cyclist I met in Dien Bien Phu who's staying in Jammee's as well. Small world.

Alison and John

Orange country