Traveling by bicycle – photos

2007: Laos
In 2004 I decided not cycling into the high mountains anymore. 3 Years later I cycled through the most mountainous region of Laos, the road always climbing to the next Mhon village on top of the mountain. Passing these villages I got nearly "high" from the smell of the weed. After one week I arrived in the former capital Luang Prabang. The ancient part of the town is lovely, surrounded by water, and a perfect place to relax a few days.The only road to China is sometimes so bad that I wonder if I'm still on the right track. In a guesthouse a few kilometers before the border I learn my first Chinese "hoyjoei" (or something like that), what means "cheers". I didn't know yet that during the next years I would say this many times.Crossing the border was unexpected easy, but soon afterwards I faced a muddy road, nearly impossible to cycle. But this was not because of the poverty as in Laos, but because the building of a new highway that has to connect China with the southern countries Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and finally Singapore.Again I had to climb hig into the mountains, but in China they are not as steep as in Thailand or Laos. One day I was witness of a deadly accident when a man drove his mini-truck right into the gorge. Every day it was raining, and the breaks of my bicycle were nearly finished. My last descend I had to break with my feeth on the asfalt, and it was at that moment that I decided to buy a new bicycle for my next travel. Jinghong was so delightful that I knew that next year I would continue my cycling into China.
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