Laos
by DR. MARAL YAZARLOO - PATTRICK
I did not have any pre-conceived ideas about Laos,
but I did not know what exactly to expect. We
crossed the border from Thailand into Laos around
12:00 noon. We had to wait a bit, since a bus had
arrived just ahead of us and there were many
bagpackers queued to get their visa. Like we have
experienced at all other border crossings so far, our
entry into Laos was smooth and uncomplicated.
We halted just after the border to record a 'Biker's
Guide' video - a video series we started right from
Bhutan, that is aimed to share all the information
we had from our experiences. We hope this series
will help many more bikers achieve their dream of
riding the globe. After about 5 minutes of recording,
I put on my gloves and got ready to start my bike. I
felt my bike wobble - it was a problem with my bike
stand that I had, right from the day we flagged off
Our ride. I felt my bike going down. I tried to regain
my balance, but my bike was damn heavy. I struggled
with it but I could not hold onto it any longer, nor did I
have time to get my leg out of the way. My bike and I
fell together, with my right foot trapped under the
bike. I could feel the pain and my first thoughts were -
Which leg ? 'Right'. Which means I won't be able to
use my foot brake. But I've got a hand brake - I'll be
fine !
I could feel the pain, but thankfully it was nothing
serious. i was sure I would be absolutely okay in 2-3
days. and of course, till then I would manage to limp
in style !
Partner and I were really hungry. Immediately after
the border, we stopped at a cafe much like a 'Dhaba'
back home in India. No one spoke any English. i
waited for Partner to order his food. Watching him try
to explain what 'vegetarian food' remains one of my
favourite moments, as he is awesome at it. He moved
his hands around, pointing to a chicken and said 'No-
No'. Then pointed to his belly. This comic theatrical
show went on for another 10 minutes and he finally
got a bowl full of floating noodles garnished with
some fresh leaves ! He then went on to add whatever
was on the table to enhance the taste. That's when I
said to him, "Partner, I hope you know what you are
adding is sugar !!!"
Meal done, we got onto our bikes to continue our
journey.