Day Five - Nakhon Phanom to Mukdahan

117kms

9 hours  47 mins

Today was definitely a day to keep your mouth closed!  There was a head wind, cross wind, dusty wind that provided a lot of resistance to our ever-tiring legs.  Personally this was the hardest day so far and yet one of the most interesting and most eventful.  

My aching and protesting muscles and sunburnt and dirty thighs were so happy for the shower in the smart hotel that was to await us 10 hours later. 

The day started as normal at 7.15am and the first stretch was 26kms.  Roads were mostly much better and the demographic and housing is slowly changing and becoming slightly more affluent as we progress further south along the Mekong.  You cant get lost as long as you see the river on your left occasionally, we joked.

Our first scheduled stop was at a school where we were to deliver balls and hand out sticky hands.  

Gae did a great job of explaining to these young children the purpose of our trip, and we played them a while, took lots of photos and Mae Thiew did some singing and dancing with them.  She is such a natural teacher and the transformation in her energy was inspiring when she gets amongst children.  I can't wait to see the Director of Home Hug back amongst her own at the orphanage.

But the morning tranquility was soon to be interrupted by our first major accident on a busy highway.  A little  boy with Downs Syndrome was coming in the opposite direction towards John Brown and some of the faster riders in front of me and John and he collided head on. 

Thankfully the little boy was only a little shaken although his front tire was punctured.  John, on the other hand, took quite a tumble, buckled his back wheel, hurt his wrist, his leg and was badly winded.  We cycled on and by the time we all met up at the lunch stop, it was decided that he should go to hospital for xrays.  He was lucky enough not to have broken anything and I am sure will be back on the bike soon.  The little boy was joined by someone who knew his family and given 100 Baht to fix his puncture.

Later on, in the heat of the afternoon, the gentle ride along the Mekong turned into a challenge as the roads disappeared in soft sand.  Unless the water truck has been along to spray the roads, the blowing sand soon collects into mini-dunes which provide huge hazards for cyclists.  A couple of swerves and Scottie trying to hug a tree prompted us to dismount and walk a couple of hundred metres at the worst part, our heads bowed from the hot sandy breeze blowing in from the river. 

Another wonderful stop was at the Phra Thatpanom Pagoda, and we were even lucky enough to see a procession carrying a very large Buddha like monk towards the temple. 

I also bought scented flowers to hang on my and Emma's bikes.  

My heart skipped a beat when we saw eels in plastic bags and turtles in buckets for sale outside the temple.  I remembered in China how shocking the treatment of animals is as they make their way to the table.  However, these animals will have a better fate.  You buy them to release them into the adjacent pond as an offering to Buddha and then feed them with pellets!

After a lovely lunch, the rest of the day was very long but very beautiful.  One highlight was riding through a small town as kids were leaving school.  They delighted in lining the streets, reaching out their hands to high five us and shout HELLO as we passed by.  Their smiles make every turn of the pedal so much easier.

We did not arrive at the hotel until about 5.30pm, all tired, aching and hungry.  Somehow I had expected the day after the rest day to be easier.  However, I would not have missed what we did and saw today for the world.