THAILAND (2) 2009
1,955 Kilometres - 21 DaysHouie Xia, Laos – Thoeng, Thailand - 84 kilometres
Our relatively quick visit to Laos ended when Ernest and I crossed the
Mekong River from the border town of Houie Xia in Laos to Chiang
Khong, Thailand. The ferry across the river was essentially a
substantial barge, and we soon found ourselves in the small border
town of Chiang Khong.
The free border visa allowed us a 15-day stay, which was too short to
explore Thailand and cycle to Malaysia. Therefore, we planned to
return to Bangkok and sort out the visa issue once we got there.
I had forgotten how lush and green Thailand was, and how devoted
the people were to the royal family. Every school, hospital,
government building, and hotel prominently displayed a large photo
of the king and queen. The weather was perfect, and our route didn’t
include any mountain passes, which made for excellent cycling.
We pedalled past numerous small communities and beautifully
decorated Buddhist temples and eventually reached the small
settlement of Thoeng. On the outskirts of town, we found bungalows
that offered suitable overnight accommodation. After a meal of
instant noodles, I crawled into bed, overwhelmed by the constant
reports on how great Thailand was and how wonderful the king was.
It was the King’s birthday, which explained the coverage, but did it
really need to be on all 130 channels?