02/03: Following the Mekong again, almost. (+113; 4159km)

Route with pics
Picasa Album

Not made it into Thakaek before 1pm...didn't really get up at 5am either...more like 6am...so we made it to Thakaek at around 2-3pm ;-) Not wanting to trail the Highway 13 we decided on a secondary road more alongside the Mekong. First 10km out of S. it all good, then it turns into a dirt trail for about 5km, then back into a nicely packed dirt rd for 20km. The only thing they 'forgot' to finish on this bit are the bridges!? There is a clean 4m wide dirt packed rd with electricity lines running next to it, but every 5km it ends at a stream...luckily now is dry season & local use the road too so they have made some basic trails/crossings, steep ups&downs to the streams down below, but at least you can get past. Wouldn't try this rd in the wet season though. After that bit it turns back into a paved road in superb condition all the way into Thakaek. S. to Thakaek is around 105km, if you don't want to do this much there are guesthouses at around 58km & 70km. Both looked fairly new.

Noodle soup lunch (and a tasty one to boot!), drinkstops every 15km (**** it's hot!, luckily we can get some #10 Kaka soda's; see pic) & a small sightseeing at Wat Patat...yup, patat was about all what happend till we got to Thakaek. At first sight looks like a more relaxed place than S., cleaner, more "lived" & spiced up with a nice riverfront lined with bars & restaurant. Also met up with 5 other bikers! 1 german guy touring a couple week holiday, who also agreed it was really hot, too hot even. Then we also crossed a couple with their 2 kids that have been riding for about 4 months and will go on for another 3 months. Each had a kid trailing their bike...wouldn't want to drag that up a mountain together with the bags...;-)

Tomorrow we stay here for 1 day. Rent a moto, do a tour of the surronding caves & lakes. After that back on the bike, making our way towards Vientiane.