day 42 - Sam Neua

Thursday, 5 December 2013

We had a rest day today in Sam Neua. After our typical breakfast of pho (noodle soup), we headed to the fresh food market to see what was available. The stalls were run mostly by women, young and old with many of the older women wearing colourful headscarves. We bought toasted peanuts, baked sweetened rice cakes, mandarins and pears - all good snacks for the road ahead.

(Sam Neua's food market)

(Dried fish for sale)

(All manner of things available at the market)

We bought a couple of lemons to make tea and the kind young girl didn't even want to take our money for them. When we insisted, she gave us three more. Five for less than 20c. 

We spent the morning by the river; Paul making some adjustments to the bikes and Nicky finalising blog posts. The afternoon was spent planning our route through Vietnam and up to Hanoi where we will be spending Christmas with Nicky's Dad. 

(Looking towards the market in Sam Neua)

We met another French couple today who arrived into town on a tandem reclining bicycle! They had set off from France six months ago, catching the Trans-Siberian railway to China, a boat to Japan, then back to China from where they cycled to reach Laos. They intend to be in Tahiti by July next year in time for a birth in the family. Again, we are travelling the opposite direction to them and so we were able to exchange information on the road ahead and hear about their experience. 

Tomorrow we head to Vieng Xai which will be our last stop before leaving Laos. We plan to spend a few days there before making our way across to Hanoi. We've been told access to internet is limited in Vieng Xai so it may be a few days between blog posts. Bye for now!

(The tandem bicycle that the French couple are riding)

(We weren't brave enough to try any of these items on the menu at dinner)

(Snake infused liquor)