The Odyssey of Gertrude and Bertha: Part Eight – The ladies meet some mountains
Distance so far: 4050 km
Bike repairs: Brought the girls to Noah from Tiger Trails in Luang Prabang, where he magically got all 21 gears on both bikes working beautifully, and gave Bertha a makeover with some shiny new pedals, no cable ties necessary.
Sophie bought a Laos style bike computer to replace mine that now has a new owner. Her new machinery works beautifully, if you enjoy each day getting to learn how distance will be displayed in a new fashion, three separate temperatures, and the computer’s need for rest days, despite protestation by us.
Skip Luang Prabang, Vangvieng, Vientiane. Skip the slow boat (or at least the second day). Skip the “real Laos”. Skip the tourism. Get a bicycle and head north. Go slow.
Face the mountains. Watch the sun rise in the east, illuminating layers upon layers of mountains to traverse. Be daunted. Persevere. Earn it all.
Earn the views, earn your breaks, earn your breath. Earn your water, collected from mountain streams and village taps. Earn the incredulous looks from adults, earn the high fives from children. Earn every grain of rice, every banana, every peanut, every drop of water, even your bamboo rat. Earn your sleep, you will bask in it. Earn your downhills, you will rejoice in them. Earn your sense of accomplishment, your pride at rising to the challenge. Earn your rest days, your half days, your photo breaks. Earn your guesthouse. You will appreciate it all even more.
You will work. Hard. You will sweat, laugh, cry, sing, swear, grumble, be silent, listen, speak, rest, push, pedal, and roll. You will be exhausted. You will be exhilarated. Your muscles will burn, you will push through. You will hit a wall, and then you will climb over it just to hit another wall. You will continue. You will meet other cyclists. Talk to them, cycle with them, camp with them, learn from them. You will love the mountains. You will hate the mountains. You will love and hate the mountains simultaneously. You will be chased by children. They will catch you. You will teach impromptu English lessons. You will rejoice when you find mountain streams. You will shower and do laundry in them. You will soak your clothes in them. They will dry moments later, you will despair. You will think.
About nothing. About everything. About pain, joy, the past present and future, your life, your home. You will plan meals. You will dream. Of home and family, of friends and lovers, of your next adventure, of downhill, of shade, of ice. You will dream of another life that could have been. You will think of mistakes you’ve made, of memories you thought long gone and buried.
You will focus. On each pedal stroke. On every inhale, every exhale. On potholes, on dirt, on animals. You will notice your lungs as you gasp for breath. You will notice the people. Their smiles, their laughter, their joy. You’ll see how they live, how they work, and how they love. Say hello to all of them.
You will love it. It is paradise.
Oh, and bring snacks.
