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The Grand Adventure
  • Helene Rimberg
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  • Helene Rimberg

The Grand Adventure

A bike trip with no end Lue lisää
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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Kitten friends
    Kitten friendsTypical Laos roadDown we go. Road so much better

    Hello Vietnam

    20. lokakuuta 2025, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Cloudy morning as we prepare to climb the last bit before crossing the border into Vietnam. Load up with caffeine and sugar and head out. The road seems quieter but still a bit rough. Rain begins before we hit the last climb. Wait it out a bit but must continue onward. As we near the border, have to weave in and out of the lanes as the trucks are parked on our side waiting to cross. Fairly easy crossing though it’s very wet. Beautiful road going down with very little traffic. Lots of greenery and flowing water. Make it to Son Tay and check into nice hotel. Venture out for dinner. Manage to order an odd dinner but pretty good - chicken bits and little fish and sticky rice.Lue lisää

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    Maybe prepping to pave
    Maybe prepping to paveMountains have gotten biggerVery low ceilingsTop of hill looking back to where we came fromA new friend

    UP towards the border

    19. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After a lovely pancake breakfast, head out onto the main road. Climb stats immediately, and the sun bakes us as we struggle upwards. The road is in all sorts of disrepair which as to the fun. Great views though. Finally make it to the top and have a break as we lose a bit of elevation. Stop at Dragon cave and viewpoint. Finish the ride as the headwinds really pick up. Find a cheap hotel and an ok place for dinner.Lue lisää

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    Interesting way to grow plant startsCave entranceFound a kitten in the restaurant. Sorry - no milk there

    Tham Nam Non Cave

    18. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    After another nice breakfast, left the resort - retracing our route to the north. Stopped at Tham Nam Non cave, which to our surprise was full of water. Using inner tubes we floated up into the cave. It was quite spacious and the water was clear and a lovely temperature. Turned around when it got too dark and spooky. Continued on Na Hin, finding a decent place to sleep and eat.Lue lisää

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    Staying hydrated
    Staying hydratedAlthough I like "stalagmeet" these are called columnsOtherworldlyLight, at last

    Kong Lor Cave

    17. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    As the bungalow is very dark, I manage to sleep in. Late. Finally get up and go have breakfast before it’s too late. Short ride to Kong Lor Cave, a 5km long cave with a river through it. Take a little boat to a motorized boat and cruise up the river - stopping a few times to marvel at the formations. Pop out on the other side and then return. Very cool! Back to
    our place and relax for the rest of the day.    Lue lisää

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    1Water buffalo poolMud bathSurrounded by craggy peaks1Harvest timeRaised pathways to bathroom and restaurant

    Spring river resort

    16. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Day begins quite cool (relatively) but quickly warms up. Not moving too fast as tired from the previous day’s adventures. Steep downhill to start which quickly levels out into a lovely road through a valley. A big of a headwind but we make good time and arrive at our destination - Spring River resort. Check in and venture out on kayaks. Head into a lagoon which is quite serene. Doug’s boat takes on water and eventually he capsizes. Twice. I tow him short distance back.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Morning beauty
    Morning beautySo excited 😳First zip line of manyAnd he's flyingZip line platformFirst sketch bridgeUp and overSpider web bridgeAmazing!Look back from where we cameVia FerrataAbseiling downLunch is servedStraight up we goVery narrow bridge. Not sure I liked this one

    A day for adrenaline junkies

    15. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    On our “rest day”, we embark on a full day adventure. For 7 hours we flew on zip lines, climbed up and down sheer rock walls, walked across sketchy bridges and basically did whatever possible to get our heart racing (generally from fear). Though scary, it was amazing soaring high above the craggy peaks. We claimed our mind against the hordes on bugs and heat. And when the rain and thunder began - we just continued on. Great day - especially in retrospect.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Low hanging clouds
    Low hanging cloudsLots of these little trucksReturning to pointy peaksA better section of roadOur walkway to the restaurant1On the scenic walkwayTrees growing right out of the rocks12Our capsule

    Up to the Rockpoint

    14. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Later start as we only have 20 miles to ride - almost entirely up hill. The road is pretty rough in sections but we make it over the first hill. Clouds build and get pelted with a bit of rain but keep going. It does clear pretty quickly; with the sun coming out just in time for the steep part. Sweat our way up and arrive at the Rockpoint viewpoint and Lodge - our destination. Check in to our “capsule” and venture out onto the walkway. Amazing views!Lue lisää

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    Beerlao owns Laos!
    Beerlao owns Laos!

    Back to the Mekong

    12. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Up and out early as need to find coffee and breakfast. Gather our supplies for the day and head out on horrible road with many trucks and buses. After about 5km, the road becomes smooth asphalt with a big shoulder. Cruise along, meeting up with the Mekong. A few stops for frosty drinks and finally make it to Paksan. Check in to hotel (another one that is mostly empty). Find dinner and spend all evening trying to figure out Vietnam visa process.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Little ferry1Who left our bikes in a creek?Sun returnsLovely fish dinnerShower buddy

    A waterfall visit

    11. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ 🌩️ 32 °C

    Long day planned but we plan to break it up with a visit to a waterfall. Cycling is easier today as road is flatter with longer stretches of good road. Veer off the main road and head into the hills to visit waterfalls. Have a nice dip and watch storm clouds form. Get out of the water just as skies open. Huddle under a little shelter - watching the falls double in size. Finally it stops, yet find our bikes now parked in a creek. Continue on our way. Arrive in Naxay and find a very cheap but acceptable hotel.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Lovely morning
    Lovely morningBeautiful sceneryEven the goats struggle to get pastWater buffalo eyeing meOur view

    A long hot ride

    10. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Get an early start though it’s tempting to stay! Lots of rolling hills amongst green hills that eventually get bigger. A few tough climbs in the heat. Plod along, especially over the rough sections. Find ourselves in a mud pit. No bueno. Find a decent, and cheap, hotel. Then off to dinner. Another fun time ordering food with no local language skills.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Rebuilding roadHoly shitAmazing peaksPool or lake? Lake!Ahhhhh!

    Fun van ride over the mountain

    9. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Early morning departure to board a minivan for Vien Vang. Horrible road conditions confirm that we made the right decision not to ride. And then in slopes up and the road becomes almost nonexistent- a tad scary in a vehicle. Make it down and pick up more people just adding to the fun. Somehow make it to Vien Vang without losing my mind. Gladly mount my bike and ride short distance (still rough road) to resort by very large reservoir. Lovely swim in the lake and enjoy sunset. Nice ending to a rough day.Lue lisää

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    Two sides to Laos

    8. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Take a short walk to the UXO museum (unexploded ordnances). Between 1964-1973 the US dropped a plane load of munitions, on average, every 8 minutes, 24 hours each day. And we denied doing it. 30% did not explode and thus remained - creating deathly hazards for the people of Laos and impacting all aspects of their lives. The government has worked to educate and clean them up. It was quite eye opening and disturbing. Juxtaposed to this, the preparations for the festival were in full swing. Spent the afternoon packing and cleaning bikes before hitting the streets for the parade. Bought our offerings which we released into the Mekong (goodbye bad luck- hello good
    luck). Watched the flaming floats travel down stream after snagging a table by the water. Tried a Lao fish wrap - very tasty. Make your own lettuce wraps using a whole grilled
    Fish.    Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Royal pond
    Royal pondRoyal boatsFancy boats on the Mekong1Reminds me of New Orleans.Fish marketSo many types of rice1A boat for tomorrow's parade making its way into townA boat being assembledLaotian temples have a lot of muralsVery fun lanternsTemple built into hillsideTemple inside a caveView from the top

    Luang Probang exploration

    7. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Wake to heavy rains which clear pretty quickly. Head to Royal Palace which is now a museum. Unable to take pictures of the lavish digs. Afterwards long walk to get eSIM cards as our reliable worldwide coverage does not cover Laos. Check out local market Tour a few Wats in town before heading up Phosi Hill for sunset and moonrise. Strangely we aren’t the only ones to think of this. Opt to not wait an extra hour for moonrise. Preparations for Lhai Heua Fai (Festival of Lights), marking the end of Buddhist Lent are starting!Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Quite hilly!
    Quite hilly!Not sure if it's meant to be so tippyBack to terraced rice paddiesSleeping bear pileIn the dry season the water is clear. And much lowerOpted not to have our lunch here1Fun swing bridgeView from the topCafe amongst the treesSemi-awake bear. I believe it is an Asiatic black bear

    Anniversary adventures

    6. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    In honor of our 34 years of marriage, ride 34 miles (RT) to Kuang Si waterfalls. Scenic ride with some very rough sections (e.g, water filled potholes). Explore very full waterfalls with many other tourists. Even have a bear sanctuary. Get a great view from the top. Enjoy the cool
    water before heading back to town. Enjoy some anniversary bubbles before pizza dinner.    Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Morning fog
    Morning fogOur hotel from the riverTrain bridge for high speed China-Laos trainSteep steps to roadDaily night market

    Mekong: Day 2 and onto Lubang Probang

    5. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Earlier departure and more crowded bought. Yet sunny day as we continue winding our way downstream. Very isolated villages along the way though seem to be building roads all along the river. Arrive about 7 hours later and schlep our stuff up steep steps. Manage to ring our way into crowded city without our typical navigation tools (our global internet seems to neglect Laos). Find our hotel and out for nice French-Lao dinner.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    View out hotel window
    View out hotel windowOur bikes strapped on topVery hilly around this areaFriendship BridgeCrowded boat. Lots of internal backpackersRapids and eddysImpromptu waterfallsOur boat was a bit stuck and local ladies pushed usSkies did clearVery cute village girlsPakbeng streetView from our hotel. Bikes still there

    Crusing down the Mekong

    4. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Oddly, the skies darken after we wake up. And then the skies open. Crazy storm that lasts almost an hour and delays our departure to the boat dock. Finally able to go; get our tickets, load our bikes on top and grab some food before boarding boat. Wait quite awhile as it fills to capacity and then set sail. Cruise along at 16 mph - passing little villages perched in the hillside. Spend the next 6 hours reading and watching the world go by. Definitely ready to get off at the point we dock. Arrive at Pakbeng and our hotel is very conveniently located to the dock. Take a short walk through small village before dinner.Lue lisää

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    Same poses but very different looking

    Laos

    3. lokakuuta 2025, Laos ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    Pack up and head for the “Friendship Bridge” and the border with Laos. Unable to ride across the bridge; instead crossing in a shuttle bus. Manage passport control fairly easily. And just like that - new country. And we are back to riding on the right. Forget this a few times on our short ride into Huayxai. Check out the boat dock for tomorrow and then find our hotel. Walk onto local Wat and meander a bit in this town though quite hot and not much to see. Out for our first dinner in Laos. Side note - Laos is a communist country.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Lovely bike path along the river

    Chiang Khong

    1. lokakuuta 2025, Thaimaa ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Dry yet dark morning and off we go. Relatively long ride to the border town of Chiang Khong but mostly flat and have a bit of a tail wind. Lots of rice and corn fields. Storm clouds are around us but no rain falls. Make it to Chiang Khong and check in to our hotel with a great view of the Mekong river. Watch rowers struggling against the current.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Lovely blue sky.
    Lovely blue sky.First inlaid Buddha we have seen11It keeps getting odderWhite reflects purity of the Buddha1Reflects suffering or hell1Walkway across from birth to deathMirrors reflect wisdom of Buddha11Each of these have messages written on them1Love it!Same artist. Light show in the evening

    Wat Rong Khun

    29. syyskuuta 2025, Thaimaa ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Short ride to Wat Rhon Khun aka The White Temple. A local temple that is being rebuilt by a well known artist. He hopes to be done by 2070 (training others). Very wild place! Also busy with tourists. Not much else to the day. Watching weather to track incoming typhoon remnants.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Lovely lily pads with lotus flower
    Lovely lily pads with lotus flowerThere were a lot of these sculptures on the groundsBeautiful carvingTeak carved polesFlutist in the backgroundThis building was made from pieces of local homesHappy fat Buddha1Jade Buddha. Replica of Emerald BuddhaWrite jade and very jolly

    Chiang Raí wandering

    28. syyskuuta 2025, Thaimaa ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Beautiful sunny day so put on our walking shoes heading for grand adventures. First stop, Mae Fah Art and Cultural Center. Beautiful gardens and exhibits of local,craftsmanship using teak. Continued our walk to Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong and then to Wat Phra Kaeo. Check out the overflowing river before returning to town. Round out the day with a visit to the cat cafe and excellent Thai/Burmese dinner.Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Cloudier Mountain View
    Cloudier Mountain ViewPond in our "resort"Little yellow bungalowBuddha on one side of the roadAll things from 1971 on the otherTopiariesSerene pondSketchy bridgeVery flooded lakeI was the only person besides the workers wandering aroundOur neighborhood WatBeautiful clock tower in middle of cityBeautiful sushiSpring rolls of all kindsWe tried these mushroomsQuite the production for mango sticky rice

    Chiang Rai

    27. syyskuuta 2025, Thaimaa ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    Very short day (18 miles) so take our time getting out. Cruise down the highway - going south for a change. Stop at the Botanical Gardens for a quick visit. Nice exhibit of medicinal plants. Finish the ride to the city of Chiang Rai. Check in to quiet B&B. As we prepare to head out, rain starts. Settles after awhile and venture out to night market and then pizza dinner (just can’t eat Asian food every night).Lue lisää

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Corn
    CornRice of courseVery cute hay hutsOrderly crops on the hillsideCurrently used mainly for garbage cansCitrusMyanmar in the distanceTop of the hill. Huts clinging to the slopeCorn growing on a very steep hillAfternoon shadows are getting so long

    Mae Chan

    26. syyskuuta 2025, Thaimaa ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Day is much sunnier, making for great views of the mountains around us. Ride amongst many crops including; corn, oranges, limes and of course bananas. Quiet road becomes a busier road but not much traffic as we hug the border with Myanmar. A very big hill awaits us and it is as tough as it looks. Lunch at the top before cruising down to the next valley and Mae Chan. Nice bungalow always us and a restaurant on site.Lue lisää

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