keep it coming

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Good stuff Steve, more please.
Oh and do you have those flip flops with the LEDs, the ones that glow in the dark, size 9

Some more no problem, Flip Flops on there way, you gonna look great in them.


Ban Laboy ford is supposed to be the most bombed bit of Land in the world, it was a Major crossing for the Vietnamese, there are some photos on the net that show just how much it was Bombed, when bombing over Hanoi was suspended the Bombs where diverted into Laos, long before the B52’s started pounding the place.



The sky was getting angry time to get going.




More angry



If one of the reasons you do this sort of thing is to find the limit...I can tick that box!!



I noticed many cave entrances along the trails through the Mountains but thought it unwise to start poking around in the bushes.



The road conditions change all the time, deep ruts,sand,mud,loose gravel and water crossings, I would stop counting them...





And then I fell off..

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First thing was to stop the bike as it was revving it’s nuts off, got it back up and looked it over, it was Ok just a broken bark buster, the GPS had come off and the battery cover clip had broken off, I tried it in it’s mount and it’s clipped back in closing the cover tight, this was a very important piece of equipment, it could tell me where I am and could find anything from ATM’s to fuel drums in tiny villages, my friend indeed.


My left thumb was not so good; I left the glove on and got some painkillers from my medicine cabinet Prayed it wasn’t as bad as it felt, all alone in the jungle soon sprung to mind. Best be on your way, time is getting on and I still have a long way to go, the trails snaked up and down and into the Jungle and my thumb hurt like hell, holding on was a problem, using the clutch lever was to painful.



The trails got harder and then the water started, this gave me a bit of a shock when I came up to it..



I sat and watched the locals for a bit then walked it..



This was the shallow end..



It had been graded to a degree but there was some big holes and rocks that had to be avoided, here we go..

No problem, with a sense of relief I pressed on, this would be next...





I would need to use the boat..

This was a little scary as the boat rocked from one side to the other..



Off the other side and back into the Jungle

Bomb Craters everywhere..




I met this guy coming out of the bush, scrap metal hunter..





Brave chap to go poking around in there..



We didn't understand each other but a few smiles is enough, the trails didn't let up and more water, I stopped counting them buy now..



walk it first, I'm soaked..





Another crossing and my confidence is growing..then another..


Walk it first..


Time was not on my side it was taking ages, the trails was just relentless, then I hit this little bit of mud and the front wheel just dug in and I'm off again..



This time I'm stuck, the handle bar has sunk right into the mud and the bike stuck, switch the fuel off and collect my thought, my thumb is screaming at me now, I physically cannot move the bike..

Two locals turn up and I'm rescued...



They got stuck and it was my turn to help them..they had pigs in the sacks on the bike, thanks fellas..



The bikes ok..



I'm not going to make Ban Laboy tonight so set a route for the nearest guest house.



The trail was still hard..the kids where hiding from me..






Soon it was all over and the guest house had rooms




Thank god for that. It had been an epic day..my feet where like prunes..



I had made it.

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You've picked a great place to explore Steve ...

They say china's pretty good to.....

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Sorry Yem meant to put the big fun meter in, I read your ride report, excellent stuff.

It's been my first week back at work I want to go back!! to Laos


It was great to clean up and get a chance to check my thumb out, I was getting worried that I might have to rest up until it got better but nothing was broken so the trip must go on, I had plenty of painkillers.

I looked at my GPS and found a place that said best food in town, walked up there and got stuck into some food washed down with a couple of Laos. I talked to a young lady who worked in the Goldmine up the road, my motto is Talk to anybody that will listen, you never now who your going to meet, made some great friends over the years doing this, it would turn out that I would soon make some more.


Before I went to bed I checked all the kit and made ready for a late start back up to Ban Laboy, I had lost my water filter, must have came off when I crashed, bugger. I planned to stay here 2 nights and do short Journeys for a couple of days, go see some war stuff.



I was up at 10 am and headed back up the road to get some breakfast, I saw 4 Farangs in a Bike shop and we said hello, they where having bike problems, they had a lot of them. They where doing the HM trails and had been up at the MG pass the morning I didn’t make it up, they had travelled to the same place as me but buy a different route. I told them that I was going back to BL and they where up for it, lets go fellas

With all the messing around that occurs when you are in a group we didn’t set of until just after 1, I was already getting worried about the time. These guys apart from 1 had lots of experience; they had ridden in Laos, Cambodia and rode dirt back in Australia.


Meet the Thunder from Down under.




The Sarge (Doug)
He was the group leader and had planned the routes, itinerary. Even for me….



Harold steptoe (Graham)
Good rider, quiet bloke that also loves the war stuff. Great riding with you.



Buddha Craig (Craig)
The calm man, we laughed man…even though you picked on me…



Uncle Sam. (Sam)
The wisdom you bought to the Table was inspiring, a great man indeed.



With kind permission from the above, these are some of the photos they had taken on route.





Glad I didn’t go that way.



Locals waiting for it to go wrong....



Jeez man



it went wrong



fantastic stuff....They thought they had a hard day!!!

Today's ride would see that change

We set of for BL I’m leading the group, promotion already hey, this was one hard trail. It would take us 2hrs to go 30k’s I had done it the day before, and was loving it second time round I knew what to expect, I even new where the big rocks where in the river crossing. I’m having a ball.












We arrived at this village; I had passed through yesterday but not seen all the old bomb casings lying around. These trails didn’t leave much time for sight seeing; it was 100% concentration all the time, time to stop and have a look around. We where amazed to find all this just laying around, the scrap value must be good, I’m told that 3-4 years ago we would have seen much more, every now and again a big 6 wheel drive truck would come through the villages and buy it from them.




















Buy this time we still had 15k’s to go, once again I would not make BL, it would be dark on the way back and the trails where to nasty to start taking risks, so we spent some money in the local store and decided to head back to the hotel, we managed this just before the sun went down.

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A few last shots of the village..



Beautiful kids








We had some food and few s and reflected on our day..


Doug had written about his trip, this is what he said about our trip to BL

"we met Chris, a Pom on the same mission, heading south on HCMTrail. Chris had a GPS(Gizmo), so after Sam’s bike was fixed, we decided on a short tour to a village, 20km out, that holds the title of the ‘Most Bombed Place’ on earth. 10km from town we turned into a goat track, for the next 20km(1.5hrs) it really was ‘Hell on Two Wheels’, deep ruts, mud, sand, deep rocky water crossings, and yep more offs, we still had to get back yet! We came across bombs, even used as gluts to stack timber on, of varying shapes and sizes scattered throughout a 4-5 hut village"


It was the hardest couple of days I had ever had on a bike, this was another planet. I was Exhausted, I struggled with the heat all the time I was drinking loads but it came out as quick as I put it in, I had gained a lot of respect for the trails there not to be taken lightly any thing could happen out here.

Survival gear was a must. I had bought with me.

Hammock
Spot messenger/Whistle/Compass/Mobile phone X2/GPS
Medical Kit/Hydration packs
Camel back/water filter/Food.
Fire lighting Equipment.
Rope saw/4 meter ratchet strap/Swiss army knife.

We where all worn out, but happy with what we had seen. The Villages are some thing else, no Electric it’s like going back in time, the rivers where used to bathe and catch food, life hasn’t really changed that much for them, they still have to put up with all the Legacies of the Secret War. Children run and hide from you as you come tearing round a bend on a big dirt bike dressed up like a storm troopers, they dart straight into the bushes where all the UXO are some are terrified of you others just stare, but It’s never long before there smiling.





Even the local bike wash..


Food as well






The day had left us all with a lot to think about.

Tomorrow would be a frustrating day for me, the great thing about travelling alone is you can do what you like when you like, my plans always change, half the time I'm lost and half the time I don't care. The good thing about travelling in a group is you have people to share the experiences with, and lots more photos.

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Really enjoyed the photos and the commentary what were the costs like for hire etc
Have done pruedoe and panama looking for a new challenge this looks great

Thanks Wizza, bikes are about $30 a day, it a wonderland...

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The next morning I checked out of the Guest house early and headed up to where the aussies where staying, we where heading for a place called Ban Dong Doug was leading the group.



The Ladies where already out selling, it was a cold Morning


Always happy.


Nobody told me that we where looking for a bank and beings it was Saturday, they where closed, We where informed that there was bank open on the Laos-Vietnamese border, so we headed up and found what we where looking for. Only ANZ cash points would work with our plastic.



The Border


It was after lunch and we decided to look at a couple of things on the GPS, war scrap and a museum.
































The museum was closed because some minister was on his way and they where slaughtering a cow in order to celebrate the event, Doug was the bravest and took the photo they where also drinking the blood, not my cup of Tea.



Not a great day for me so I decided tomorrow would be my last day with the group Doug had little or no time for listening to anybody else’s suggestion and I didn’t want to rock the good ship Australia.

I had been given a number of a person I had never met, we had spoke over another Forum and I was excited to go meet him, he was in the pakxe Area Mapping, this was the guy who made mapped all the Date on my SD card,

We had a few s and planned tomorrows day…



Doug with the map, me with the GPS

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Absolutely Fantastic. Looking to get there myself one day.

Anyway to post your track file to share?

Thanks B, I will contact the map maker about the tracks, I don't want any copy write issues flung at me. If it's all ok I would love to share them..

I'll keep you posted.

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Turned out the GPS gets the vote, we are heading back down the HM trail Via the cobblestones I have set a final destination as a guest house about a 100k’s away in a village called Taoy and would let the gizmo do its thing.



Gassed up and ready,Another epic day was about to begin, this little girl would not look at us..think she was a bit frightened of us





We headed for the cobblestones on the trail, it was a nice easy start.





View from the Bridge.




Old fuel cells discharged from planes and turned into boats..



Local traffic.


Beautiful day


This section of HM’s trail has been fenced of to preserve it, the Vietnamese where all over the Expon,Tchepone area which we had passed through yesterday a very busy area with reports of Russian Helicopters making deliveries at night. Pilots who had returned from sortie’s over Vietnam and where unable to drop there bombs because of bad weather would need to get rid of there bombs before landing, no prizes for where the ended up. The trails where getting hammered, but a huge amount of personnel and equipment destined for the South Vietnam would make it through the trails, it was essential to the war effort the trails stayed open.



still smiling.







This place is steeped in History.







Village life as normal here, I wonder if the kids understood what it was all about.














We had some breakfast in the Village and set of with time still on our side, the trail got harder and harder water crossings one after the other. You never knew what to expect as you went down the blind slopes to the river, it was always a surprise and some times a relief. Some times it felt like tunnels as you went into the jungle and would pop back out a little upstream of the crossing and ride across to the other side.

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If you know Laos you have a broken heart