2 Months And A Half Off! (Part 9)

This series of posts is a day by day account of my two-month-and-a-half trip that begins with a stay in Bangkok, followed by a train ride Amritsar, a bike trip from Leh to Manali and a yoga teacher training in Kullu Valley, the end of the habitable world.

Day 16: The Day Before 

The day before our long bike trip to Leh, we headed to New Manali to buy some things that we'll need for the road. One of the most taxing errands we had to do was getting a sim card that we can use in case of emergencies. Here, a photo, a copy of your passport and visa and some signed document from your guesthouse or hotel are needed to get a sim card. Luckily, the man selling the sim card was nice enough to sell it to me without asking for the signed document from our guesthouse. And, I was given several packets to choose from. Here in India, even your mobile number can change your luck.

I must've picked an unlucky number. The minute I turned on my phone I started getting phone calls from unknown people. Around five numbers have called me repeatedly. And, telling them that they've called the wrong number didn't deter them from calling again. It was absolutely frustrating I had to keep my phone on silent or turn it off.

Day 17: Day 1 of the Manali to Leh Epic Bike Trip

At around 6 in the morning, our bags were packed and we were headed for Keylong, our destination for that day. The small town was around 125 kilometers away from Manali. 

Even though the drive from Manali to Keylong wasn't that long, we had to leave early in order to avoid the traffic on the narrow roads. Also, being ahead of everyone else meant that we will have loads of vehicles to count on for help should we have any problems with our bike. Another good reason for being early is that the water in the stream is higher in the afternoon than it is in the morning.

Our drive from Manali to Rohtang Pass started out smoothly. White, feathery clouds covered the mountains opposite us. And, we saw several waterfalls along the way.

Our first challenge were the muddy bits that we'd been warned about a couple of days ago. We crossed like three or four stretches of mud pits and I could feel the tires slip as we went through them. And, it didn't help that we were sharing the road with trucks, buses and jeeps. Fortunately, my boyfriend's amazing motorbike riding skills kept us from falling off. His shoes were absolutely soaked by the time we got to an asphalt road.

The muddy road up Rohtang Pass.

After the muddy bit, we had a mix of smooth asphalt roads and areas filled with gravel and sand. We also crossed a couple of small streams which added some spice to our trip. We were lucky to have an early start since the streams we had to cross were shallower and less threatening.

The road up the pass.

Moving along the scary mountain roads

Rohtang Pass

We were up close and personal with the mountains.

This is a scene that city folks don't normally get to see... And, I thought it was beautiful.

There was a waterfall in every corner.

Before we reached Tandi, where we were going to stop for petrol since this is the last town with a petrol station, we stopped at Glacier Cafe for a cup of chai. Below it are several rooms with clean bathrooms. And, opposite the cafe, are melting glaciers that looked like silver on the mountain's dark gray surface.

A melting glacier on the dark mountain surface.

After getting some petrol in Tandi, we headed to Keylong which had very dusty roads. We arrived at around 1 PM and found out that we had a flat. Luckily, we passed a mechanic on our way into town and the problem was fixed in no time.

Nalua Guesthouse (Keylong, Altitude: 3,080 meters, 500 rupees per night)

We picked this guesthouse because it had a restaurant and a small shop. The rooms were very sweet with ensuite bathrooms, hot water and a shared balcony with a nice view of the mountains.

The Guesthouse

The View From The Guesthouse

Sunset at the terrace.

Travel Tips

Leave early. The roads are narrow and being ahead of all the other vehicles makes the drive a whole lot easier. The streams are also much shallower in the morning.

Enjoy the view. The scenery along the way is the climax of the trip. Nothing can be more beautiful than the untouched green mountains and silver waterfalls you'll be passing by on the way. Stop and take a picture. 

Fill up and bring spare petrol. Tandi is the last place you can get petrol on the way to Leh.

Do some sightseeing (if you have time). There are a lot of temples in Tandi and Keylong. I didn't make it to any of them.

25 Days of Laos (Part 18)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 24: Thakaek to Vientiane
This day was spent heading back to Vientiane and sorting out our visa for Vietnam. Then, we checked in the Mixay Guest House where we stayed last time. After that, we headed to Le Silapa for dinner. It's got amazing food, fantastic decorations and really friendly cats. So, make sure you sit inside if you don't want to be anywhere near them. We sat aside and it was difficult to pry them off my lap -- They're not shy nor afraid of humans. 

Vientiane

Day 25: The Buddha Park
We drove 25 kilometers out of Vientiane to see Xieng Khouan, a sculpture park which was created by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat in 1958. The park represents the union of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs. In the park, you'll see statues of gods, animals, humans and demons. You'll also see a pumpkin-shaped head of a monster with its mount open. Inside this monster is the creator's interpretation of heaven, earth and hell. You can climb into the monster's mouth to check out the different compartments filled with statues.

The Reclining Buddha

Enter The Mouth If You Dare

What's Inside The Head

The Buddha Park

Our last day in Laos ended with ice cream in Swenson's and some pizza at Le Ranch after failing to find the shooting range which has apparently moved to a different location. With a box of pizza for the road, we headed to the bus station for our trip back to Hanoi.



Read About The Journey From The Beginning:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7
• Part 8
• Part 9
• Part 10
• Part 11
• Part 12
• Part 13
• Part 14 
• Part 15
• Part 16
• Part 17
• Part 18

25 Days of Laos (Part 17)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 22: Hin Boun to Thakaek
The next town that we were going to visit was Thakaek which was around 181 kilometers away from Hin Boun. The journey would've been more eventful were we able to visit the legendary Kong Leng lake which the villagers believe to be sacred. They say that they hear the sound of a gong from the lake every full moon. 


The Lonely Planet describes the lake as crystal clear since the water in it has been filtered through the limestone karsts. The thing is it's hard to get to -- You'd have to get through terrible dirt roads. And, when you get to the lake, you'll have to ask for the villagers' permission to swim in there. Also, you can only swim in the stream near the wooden footbridge and not the lake itself. But, some lucky tourists have made it to this location and it is indeed magical. 

What Stopped Us From Getting To The Lake!

We got to Thakhaek in the afternoon. And, we decided to splurge a bit and stay in the Inthira Hotel where we got a beautiful room with a terrace. What made the room unique was that the toilet and the shower seemed as if they were in two wardrobes separated by a sink. Feeling a bit rich that night, we decided to have their sashimi platter and were sorely disappointed to find out that the serving was small and it was more like a ginger platter than a sashimi platter.

That orange glob in the middle is ginger!

Day 23: Around Thakaek
We visited Tham Pha Pa, a Buddha cave which is 18 kilometers from Thakhaek. Their collection of six-hundred-year-old Buddhas was impressive. And, one of the people guarding the place recited some incantations while tying bracelets on our wrists. I guess this means that we will have double the protection during the remainder of our bike trip. Sad to say, I wasn't able to take any pictures in the cave.

The Cave Guardians' Pet?

The Pool Outside The Cave

After the Buddha Cave, we decided to go to a nearby stream called Tha Falang. It may not be as beautiful as the lake that we missed the day before but it was definitely a magical place. By the stream, you'd see several butterflies flying about, making it seem like a place you'd only hear about in fairy tales. And, the best part about it is that you've got it all to yourself. During our stay there, we only ran into two tourists who jokingly left us to have the place for ourselves.

The Road To Tha Falang

Tha Falang

After a dip, we headed back to our hotel and chilled. After that, we looked for a place to eat. This time, we had dinner by the Mekong River, looking at the bright lights on the Thai border. And, we decided to get a cheaper fare that night -- Some local food from the stores scattered by the river.


Quick Travel Tips:


Khoun Keng Long. It's about 30 kilometers northeast of Thakhaek. These are the directions according to the Lonely Planet: "Head north along Rte 13 and turn right (east) at Km 25 onto a dirt road. After 2 km, turn right (south) again and bump up over hills and through villages for 16 km until your reach Ban Na Kheu. Once you've got approval for swimming, it's another 1 km to the lake."


Tham Pha Pa Cave. We weren't exactly asked for an entrance fee but there was a donation box at the entrance. Tham Pha Pa is arond 18 kilometers away from Thakhaek. 


Tha Falang. It's just a few kilometers away from the Tham Pha Pa Cave.



The Journey Continues:

• Part 18

25 Days of Laos (Part 11)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.


Day 13: Phonsavan to Muang Sui (or Nong Tang)
Before hitting the road the next day, I took some pictures of the decorations in the Kongkeo Guest House. It was quite creative how they used these old weapons and ammunitions as decorations. They even turned a shell into a flowerpot.

Craters Bar and Restaurant

The night before, we read about a beautiful lake around 48.7 kilometers away from Phonsovan. So, we decided to get some sandwiches from Craters Bar and Restaurant and have a picnic by the lake before heading to Luang Prabang to complete our loop. 


Muang Sui or Nong Tang (in the GT-Rider map) is a beautiful and peaceful town. We found a place to sit by Nong Tang lake and had our late breakfast. While we were eating our sandwiches, we read about a Buddha cave in the vicinity and we talked about staying there. When we found out that bungalows were being rented by the lake for 60,000 kip we got tempted to stay for a night. 

Nong Tang Lake

The Bungalow We Stayed In

After putting our bags in the room, we headed to the Buddha Cave -- Since it wasn't a popular tourist destination, we were the only ones there. After paying for the entrance fee (around 20,000 kip), a guide accompanied us to the cave. The cave was well-lighted -- They've installed some lights in it. The good thing is that the lighting enhanced the beauty of the cave. And, it was one of the most photogenic caves I've ever seen. The shapes that the cave walls made resembled abstract sculptures.

This Massive Buddha Greeted Us At The Entrance

The Joss sticks beside the Buddha can tell your fortune -- You might need to have someone interpret it though.

Paintings On The Cave Wall

Tiny Headless Buddhas

An Elephant

According to our guide book, the Buddha figures were hidden in this cave in order to protect during the Haw Invasion. This cave has also been used as a hospital by the North Vietnamese Army during the Indochina War.


The Buddha Cave wasn't the only place we thought of visiting while we were in Muang Sui. We also thought about checking out the Tham That which contained an old stupa ruin and the coffin cave. But, because the paths are poorly marked and there wasn't a proper guide who can help us find our way around, we weren't able to see these places. We decided to do some reading instead.


When lunch time came, we found it a bit difficult to find a place to eat. We found a place that served some tasteless noodle soup. After that, we decided to look for a small store that sells snacks. When we found one, I filled up my bag with snacks. It was a good idea because when night time came, we didn't feel like walking in the dark (since the area didn't have any street lights) so we ended up having the snacks that we bought instead. 

Quick Travel Tips:


If you're thinking of heading to Muang Sui or Nong Tong, you should pack some food in your bag. Otherwise, you might end up going hungry.



The Journey Continues:

• Part 12
• Part 13
• Part 14 
• Part 15
• Part 16
• Part 17
• Part 18