Pig Pen and google maps you are BS

Broke two of my rules of dirt biking yesterday, which made the day a little more interesting. 1: Take time to eat a decent breakfast cause might be a while before the next meal depending on where google maps sends you. I went for street meat for the 25th time on this trip but ended up with pork fat and some skin…didn’t finish very much to say the least. After breakfast google maps decided to mess with me for a few hours. It tried to send me down a path that would have made Travis Pastrana (dirt bike legend) think twice. Tried it for a few miles and noticed the rain clouds moving in so decided that was a terrible idea. The rest of the day I felt like Pig Pen from Charlie brown being chased by rain clouds rather than dust. Road over 300 klicks with that damn cloud chasing me the whole way. Rule 2: No driving at night. Tried to push it a little longer than needed and ended up being engulfed with bugs that somehow still make it in my mouth and ears even with a full face helmet with visor down… Couple of cows tried to get froggy as well but in the end all good. Its always funny arriving in a village at night, it always looks creepy and bleak but once morning comes it’s gorgeous. Ran into a Canadian named Doug after dinner (South East Asia lifer) who had some interesting stories from “the good ol days”. Had some great advice about the Stan countries as well “you’re nuts taking your own car there”. Noted…

There is a cave near Kong Lo which was interesting today only because a guy from Thailand showed up looking like bob the builder loaded with flood lights. No joke the guy was strapped with more light than 85% of the Laos villages I’ve seen. I had my captain follow him for the 7k ride. On the way back we braved the cave with only a small torch provided by the tour. I ended up using my iphone and it wasn’t nearly the same, so bob the builder guy, thank you very much. Not sure what village I’m in now but its close to Gnommalath. Passed a new reservoir that seems to have been built just a few years ago. Small villages have popped up in the surrounding area that had to be moved once it was flooded. The reservoir is low at the moment so you can see locals running around cutting timber that has drowned from being submerged.

Once I arrived at the guesthouse (no hotels of course) I ran into Noy who works for an American/Laos company disabling landmines in the area. Believe I read somewhere more bombs were dropped in Laos during the Vietnam war than total in WWII by both sides. The Ho Chi Minh Trail ran through northern Laos and we were determined to cut it off. It got so bad that local politicians/elitists would hide in caves near Xam Nuea. Anyway enough history lessons…