Laos 2009 bike tour - Asia
DE PHOU KHOUN A KIOU KA CHAM
LAOS, 'ASIATIC SINGULARITY'
Travelling to South East Asia means meeting and enjoying a way of life and a culture completely different than Western.
The society of Lao people´s Democratic Republic, inherited from the Kingdom of Lan Xang (Million Elephants), has some peculiarities, even within the closest environment. It is hard to find a country with more peaceful population than Laotians. French people themselves, former metropolis, had a saying: 'Vietnameses plant rice, Cambodian watch how it grows, Laotians listen to it'. About 80 per cent of the population (6,600,000 people in 2011) live in rural areas, mainly occupied in rice growing and other crops.
Independent foreign ethnographers have identified between 94 to 134 ethnic communities, so as Laos is not conceived as a Nation but a conglomeration of tribes and languages. Despite of the fact that ethnic communities are large and varied, Laotians have always had four main categories: Lao Loum, Lao Thai, Lao Theung and Lao Soung. It is curious that this classification shows approximately the height these groups lived. Nevertheless, 70 per cent of the country´s area are mountains and plateaux 1,000 metres above sea level.
More than half of the population profess theravāda Buddhism, a former and less corrupted school than Mahāyāna Buddhism from East Asia and the Himalayas. Buddhist society commands everybody a short period in life as a monk. It is normal to fulfil that task just after finishing studies and before starting a career or a marriage.
All this and many other things turn Laos into a different destination, extraordinarily worthy of being cycled.
full path of the bike trip in Google Maps Engine.
Luang Prabang
Trekking Akha Trail
Área Nacional de Conservación de la Biodiversidad Nam Ha
Descenso del río Mekong
Meseta de Bolaven y cascada Tat Fan
Templo Jemer Wat Phou
Área Nacional de Conservación de la Biodiversidad Xe Pian
Isla Don Khong
Isla Don Det
Cataratas Khone Phapheng
Sleeping bag Mountain Equipment Classic 500
Air bed Therm-A-Rest NeoAir All Season
Mat
Front Light Petzl Tikka XP (40 lúmenes)
Solar shower Water Sack de Ortlieb
Dry bag de 30l.
Camera: Réflex Kikon F60. Lenses: Cosina 19-35mm and Nikkor 70-300mm.
Films 35mm Fuji Velvia 50, Fuji Provia 100F and Fuji Sensia 400
Tripod Benro Classic A-158EX
Fork Marzocchi MX COMP ETA/2006
Two saddle bags Ortlieb Bike-Packer Plus de 40l.
Front bag Ortlieb Ultimate6 L Plus de 7l.
Speedometer Odometer Cateye Velo 8
Valid passport for six months at least since the entry to the country. It is also necessary having two ID photos. You can get the visa in customs of Vientiane´s airport, it will be valid for 30 days (30US$).
For a longer stay yor need to renew the visa in a police station before its expiring.
In the following link: Ministry of foreign affairs and cooperation (Spain), you can find daily updated information about country travel advice.
