Another border, another country and it feels great. So much more satisfying than arriving in a new country by aeroplane. I really felt the loss of continuity flying across Pakistan and Burma (with missing so much of India and Bangladesh as well). It really is nice to do border crossings the hard way - and its my first ever "move to the other side of the road" border crossing. Previously the Right to Left change occurred between Iran and India when I was in mid air.
Laos had a different feel to Thailand as soon as I crossed the border, the other side of the road would have contributed, but the French influence and other unexplainable things just felt good. - I liked it straight away. There is one thing it has in common with Iran. Your wallet fills to bursting with next to no value in it, and you become a millionaire very easily.
It seems like maybe I have a problem with Candida since my stint in the Indian hospital and the huge doses of antibiotics I was given to rid me of the infection there. As a result I'm now on a Green Veg diet with no sugars natural or otherwise - so no fruit and no processed food. I've even been off rice for a while as it seemed to be causing problems when I vist the little room. This diet is not exactly good for cycling where you need lots of carbohydrates for energy and sugar for those bursts when you've just done one hill and meet another.
The section from Phitsanulok to Chum Phae in Thailand was hilly, has some lovely Thai National Parks in it and I found it very hard going - probably due to my lack of carbohydrates. The hills were no worse than anything I've encountered in countries such as Iran, Turkey, or Nepal but my legs would really feel weak - so I'm putting it down to lack of carbs'. Today wasn't hilly - coming into Laos, but I changed from 3 meals a day to 5 and I'm sure it helped.
My standard meals here at the moment are
Breakfast: Veg Soup
Lunch: Veg Soup
Tea: Veg Soup
To strictly conform to the diet I should be making it all myself as all the Thai soup bases contain 3 things that I shouldn't be having, Sugar, Salt and MSG. Yes, MSG s in damn near everything here (except if you go to Khaosan Rd Bangkok where they know it scares off tourists.)
I've started eating meat with Breakfast and Lunch now too - what a hoot !!
Between meal snacks when riding consist of seaweed (yum), and dry cornflakes.
plus 
equals 
No carbs and no sugar in a diet + hills = no energy and jelly legs
But after a couple of weeks, I have been cheating on the diet the past couple of days, getting into the Yakult - which is very common here, available in every drinks fridge - but in Thailand all the Yogurts and Yakult type drinks are rich in sugar. I'm hoping the pro-biotic advantages for my stomach outweigh the intake of the sugar...
- Rice Paddies in Northern Thailand
- Not cheating, Miss Wasna is showing me the local home stay.
- My room at the home stay
- They tend not to believe a cyclist only wants veg soup for breakfast
I've been using the local establishments for food and accommodation a little more than in Europe where it cost so much. In Thailand the food is generally very well prepared and the accommodation decent but cheap(ish) - not as cheap as the less developed countries but generally better too.
When however I do elect to camp - (I don't like committing myself to fixed distance days all the time - which you need to do if using accommodation) - I like the fact that in Thailand I can again get off the side of the road and dissapper into the bush (seeing nobody until I head back to the road the next morning. Such a contrast to India and so good.
- Another good cook - the mother told me the daughter loved me - and the daughter blew a kiss as I left.
- Typical country northern Thailand
- Camping can again be a private in Thailand.
- A bungalow behind a very nice hotel complex but within budget. (Nong Bua Lampur)
- A taste of how the other half live - in the hotel complex (Nong Bua Lampur)
- The local town lake - I didn't think much of the town when I arrived, liked the hotel, and when I went to leave I found the gems, the lake and a lovely town centre off the highway.
Welcome to Laos
Lovely green rice paddies - freshly planted- Laos
Next Laos - well a tiny bit of it, as I head across toward Vietnam - I wont get to see the bulk of the country further north.
Continuing to love the trip
Jeff
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www.whereonearthisjeff.com
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