Day 45: Around The Bend

Before forgoing our 2nd night in Vang Vieng to hop into a minivan for what turned out to be a wild ride thru the mountains of Laos, we decided to go on a bike ride, in search of a hidden Blue Lagoon. With only a rudimentary map, clearly not to scale, and vaguely ambiguous directions, we proceeded onward for a test of endurance and patience under the oppressive heat of an unforgiving sun.

I love to take pictures of empty roads and paths like this one, taken during our bike ride, especially when you can't see around the bend. Symbolic of my eagerness to venture into the unknown, and ready for whatever challenge or obstacle awaits around the corner.

As we were on a short time schedule and were not accurately informed of the distance or location of this blue lagoon, we didn't find it :( But, at least we got in some good training exercise for next month's climb. We endured the heat and rode back to town, just in time to catch the bus.

Not having ridden a bike in quite a while, the 3 hour ride on unpaved roads was not a way to ease back into it. So imagine driving on unpaved roads for five hours in a minivan with poor shocks, winding perilously close to the edge of the mountain while avoiding landslide debris, sometimes enshrouded in a deep fog with near zero visibility. And with a front row seat, too.

Despite the scenic views of the lush green valleys below, I was quite relieved to finally reach Luang Prabang. Due to a combination of the heat, non-stop traveling, endless walking, and salty foods, my feet had become unsightly swollen and needed some rest. Thank goodness.

Tomorrow I am taking the day off, while my friend rides elephants.