Day 5 & 6 - tough days but good days

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Day 5 & 6 - by far two of the longest days on the bike so far, not so much the distance but time in the saddle and how we were feeling. There always seems to be one day on tour where energy is a little low and that could be felt through the group today. Kel and I stuck together and dug deep as we rolled through some undulations or in Kel’s words ‘hills’!

Going back to yesterday our ride into Mukdahan was both scenic and eventful. First stop in the morning after a 24km highway stretch was at a school where we donated soccer balls and once again handed out the sticky hands. The kids were so appreciative of our company, our gifts and the time that we spent there; their faces and smiles are priceless and inject more energy than any gel or sugar hit can do!

Energy was just what we needed as we made our way to lunch tackling some pretty fierce headwinds and extremely soft sand. A few riders came off their bikes so most made the decision to walk the rest of the way. This leg drained the energy a little but spirits were up as we finally arrived at the lunch stop. As the usual lunch of fried rice, chicken and vegetables was being prepared we went across to a beautiful temple for a quick look around.

Kel tried her luck with the Buddhist fortune sticks (Kau Cim). This is a traditional fortune telling practice where several bamboo sticks with words printed onto the sticks are put into a canister. People shake the canister until one stick falls out. The fortune on that stick corresponds to a longer written fortune which you can take with you.

Kel came bounding over telling us she was going to meet her husband and that a cargo of merchandise was on it’s way over. Not wanting to miss out on good fortune Pete and I went over to give it a go. We probably should have thought otherwise given the fortunes we received – losing court cases, ending up with terrible spouses (wtf) and generally having bad luck. Funnily enough Pete then left the temple and fell of his bike!

On the way back to lunch we could hear a procession coming down the road – at first glance we thought it was a funeral but as we got closer noticed a large guy sitting on top of a car with many women parading around him with music. He didn’t look real as he was so large – he looked like Jabba the Hut (see photo) so obviously his Star Wars days are over so he joined the monks.

Coming to the end of day 5 was a relief and most of us were in bed by 8.30!

Day 6 was much of the same but a few more rolling ‘hills’, and bumpy roads. We fought hard to get through the day but made it and are now enjoying some well deserved beers on the balcony at our swish hotel overlooking the Mekong River. Big day tomorrow – 135km – so will be smashing down the carbs at dinner before another early night. We’re at the end of day 6, the legs are tight, bums are sore but knowing that we have some pretty amazing kids to see on Saturday will keep us churning through the k’s.

Until tomorrow

Kel and CT xx

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