Saturday 1st March
Kara had suggested a few days earlier the idea of renting some motorbikes and taking a trip up to the town of Muang Sing, 60km north of Luang Nam Tha. It sounded like a good idea to me as I had been keen to visit this part of Laos before I arrived in the country. Paul and Karine also agreed to come along, and this was a good thing for me; I had never ridden a motorbike before while Paul had a lot of experience, so I felt that I was in good hands in case anything went wrong.
The 100cc Chinese bikes that we rented cost 35,000 kip (the equivalent of 2 quid), so they were pretty good value for a day, while the fuel that we had to pay for was also cheap. We got sorted out with our bikes and I knew it would take me a while to get the hang of it so, after stopping off for some breakfast, we took a drive around some of the backstreets to familiarise myself with the controls, before hitting the road to Muang Sing. I'm not the most comfortable when it comes to traffic either, so I set off with a cautious frame of mind.
Unfortunately, I was concentrating so hard on trying to drive safely, that I didn't see Paul & Karine (who were sharing a bike) and Kara stop for petrol just before we left town. I carried on like an idiot for about 10km before realising that I would need to fill up on fuel myself and turned back (also in the hope of coming across the guys, although I knew that I was at least on the right road). Thankfully, I met them after a couple of kilometres and we were finally able to hit the road proper as a group, and we stuck together for the rest of the day.
As I began to get more comfortable with the bike (helped by the lack of any serious traffic), I also started to enjoy the ride and take in the awesome countryside through which we passed. We were riding through the National Protected Area (NPA), a forested region that is – as the name suggests – a protected area which aims to secure it from over farming, deforestation, etc. The scenery became even more impressive the closer we got to Muang Sing, with rice paddy covering the flat valley, before the hills rise up on the horizon.
We got to Muang Sing, took a look about the food market and had lunch, before trying to find our way to a village called Sop La, another 60km north again. Our map lead us to believe that we would hit our destination if we continued straight along the main street out of town. After 12km or so – and a little barrier known as the Laos-Chinese border – we knew we were on the wrong road, so we turned around and headed back in the direction of Muang Sing. We eventually got on the right track, for that was all that it was: a dirt track which proved difficult to stay straight on in parts, so there was some occasional slow moving.
The day had changed from a cold and dull one into a lovely warm and sunny evening, and the light of the afternoon turned the area into a proper picture. I also greatly enjoyed the freedom that the bike gave us, although we were careful to maintain a sensible speed throughout (safety first, never second!).
It took us about an hour and a half to get back to Luang Nam Tha, leaving the bikes back just before 18.00 and before it was dark. I had really enjoyed it, apart from the minor fiasco at the start of the trip. We grabbed some food and I was delighted to find out that the United-Fulham game was live on TV and in my room! I watched a comfortable 3-0 win in a game that was played in my old 'manor' of Fulham, back in west London. It's funny to look at the crowd in these games, all wrapped up and looking freezing, while I kick back and enjoy the heat in Asia (well, it ain't so warm in northern Laos, but it's been generally very nice, and a long way from a European winter). I packed my stuff once more as I was planning to move on to Luang Prabang early the next morning. It would seem that motorbiking takes it out of you as I was unable to stay awake, even while the match was on, and that usually only happens when I watch Liverpool play.
