My world walk blog - Laos - 2

Laos National Route 13 snakes its way along the Mekong river and for much of the way it parallels the Thai border. It passes through vibrant villages which are dotted not too far from the river. 

I walked past open doors of one room houses and shops that reveal shady interiors where people and dogs sometimes rest from the heat. Most days were around 33C and with high humidity. 

The hard-shoulders white line has long since faded which effectively widens the road for motorists and narrows it for me. Despite its dilapidated state and with so many potholes this default makes the roads wider than most Australian and New Zealand roads. I walked along it and towards the traffic and around deep puddles from the days of frequent rain. Many times I had to push Karma well off it and towards a ditch to let impatient drivers pass. As in Thailand, it's not uncommon to see young children riding motorcycles and if there is a helmet law it's not enforced.

  Occasionally, some chickens clucked along and dazed cows sometimes walked in search of fresh pasture. It seems that councils don't waste money on grass trimming, why worry when there are so many shepherds ready to take their stock to the long grass. 

 At the end of my 29-kilometre day, I came to a building under construction. There didn't appear to be anyone protecting it and as there was sufficient shelter from the road I decided to pitch my pop-up tent inside on a dusty tile floor. I was thankful that I had bought an extra sandwich at an earlier break stop. Such extras never go to waste. 

Next morning out on the road I enjoyed a lot of banter with the children. They get so much fun listening to me and repeating such phrases as "Hello, hello, hello!" 

Unfortunately, many young children also smoke cigarettes and perhaps this is because the cost of a packet of ten is no more expensive than a Coco-Cola.

That day I walked steadily and after 36-kilometres came to a village just south of Saysavan. It had a cheap guest house and I stopped for the night. Unlike in Thailand, one good thing about Laos is that such places are easily identified as signs are in English as well as the Lao language.