After thoroughly enjoying our time in Luang Prabang it was a little hard to leave. Making it even harder was the rain that woke us up an hour before the alarm was poised to rouse us. Packing up and getting the stuff on the bikes goes all that much slower when you know you are going to be soaked as soon as you throw your leg over the boat. But we had woken at 5:30 so no amount of procrastinating would be long enough so we finally screwed on our happy faces and headed out.

We were heading into what was going to be one of the toughest, but most rewarding, rides of the trip. The route was to take us along the national highway all the way from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, a distance of almost 550 kms through the mountains.

The first day the rain let up at about 10 in the morning just in time for some of the biggest climbs we have encountered on this trip. The morning climb was about 12 km and the climb in the afternoon was 20. We were pooped. Making the day even more interesting was the knowledge that it would be pretty much impossible after finishing the second climb to make it 50 more km to the town with "official" accommodation. We had heard of, and were counting on, stopping in a small village, making a gesture of sleep, and procuring lodging for the night. We were so relieved when we pulled into the town at the top of the mountain and found that over the last few months 2 guest houses have popped up. There was no hot water, which made showering at such a high altitude a chilling experience, but we were grateful all the same.

The next day the route took advantage of the climbing we had done the previous day and led through some beautiful highland country. Vast hills and valleys spread before us and cycling through them was amazing. During the morning we climbed and descended about the same amount. But in the afternoon we had a long 40 km descent. What a rush!! Getting up to speeds of 55 km an hour we flew down what we had struggled so hard to make it up the day before. The scenery also changed dramatically as we dropped. We had been in the highlands but as we dropped we came to flatter land with limestone crags jutting up out of the ground. The effect was dramatic, particularly when contrasted with the paddy rice fields scattered around crags. That night we stopped in Kasi, a small town with only one guest house where only cycling tourists "bother" to stay. The setting was magical though and after talking to our restaurant owner we realized that if and we come back things will be different. Some of the caves in the area are about to be opened as tourist sites and when that happens things are going to change. A shame in some ways.

The next day we continued winding through the crags along mostly flat ground to the town of Vang Vieng. This town is the epitome of how things change after tourism comes to town. More foreigners than Laotians can be seen walking the streets and everything in town seems to be catered to those passing through. The reason is obvious though. Vang Vieng lies on the side of a beautiful river, surrounded by limestone crags filled with interesting caves. So everyone wants to stop for a day or two and try it out for themselves. Us too. We booked a day tour of kayaking and caving. It was a wonderful day. We started by kayaking a few kilometers to a place from where a cave can be accessed. We swam in the complete dark into the cave and then after lighting candles we crawled through some of the smallest places along a maze of paths and caverns. Then it was time for a barbecued lunch, which we shared with the two other members in our group, two ethnic Chinese from Malaysia. After lunch we continued the rest of the 18 km back to Vang Vieng. We had designated our day in Vang Vieng as a rest day, but judging by our sore shoulders the next day, that had been wishful thinking.

The last two days of biking brought us down to the Mekong Delta, which surrounds the area around Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. After three stunning days of cycling in the mountains these two days of cycling were not as dramatic but were beautiful in their own ways. The rice is now being harvest in the delta and the gold-green contrasted sublimely with the dark green of the mountains in the background.

Before entering Laos we had heard that it was laid-back and friendly and that was definitely our experience. Three room school yards emptied as we passed and all the students rushed to the road saying "Saibadee", "Hello" in Laotian. And so tired, but satisfied we entered Vientiane to rest up and make up for the relaxation we hadn't had a chance for over the 6 days of touring.