Nong Khai to Bangkok

After a relaxing time just chilling out on the Mekong river it was finally time to get back on the bike and make the final push to Bangkok and the end of my cycle trip. I got the bike fixed a little but it was still making some strange sounds and wasn't feeling quite right but it made it all the way. The riding was good as the road was excellent but it was highway riding which isn't the best but it meant the km went passed quickly. After my first day back on the road I got sick so had to kick back in Udon Thani for a rest day. From there it was all good riding while stopping at some nice but less touristy Thai cities along the way. I got one final puncture which changed my destination for that day meaning it would be an extra day on the road but as it turned out it was another interesting one. I arrived in a small town as I was tired and needed to get out of the sun for the day so began looking for a hotel. I was told after some time that there was only one hotel in town and that was back on the main road so I cycled out there to find out it was a 'love hotel'. Oh well, I've stayed in a couple before under similar circumstances so checked in to the much amusement of the staff. 'Just a room for one please' wasn't what their usual clients asked for!! After a good nights sleep I was up early heading into Bangkok which as expected turned out to be a nightmare as the roads are all highways and most of the signs are in Thai characters making it impossible for me to understand. After a few wrong turns and plenty of stops to ask for directions I finally made it to my destination in central Bangkok. Tired but so stoked that I completed my cycling trip I had a beer to celebrate with two French cyclists I just met.
It has definitely been one hell of an adventure with numerous experiences that I will never forget. I've met so many great people and interacted with a number of different cultures making my experiences all the richer. I wouldn't have got half as far without the support, encouragement, blog comments and emails from my all family and friends so a big thank you to you all.
Where to from here? Working I guess which I'm sure will come as a shock!! Well, I hope the blog has been enjoyable and I'm just glad I could share some of my experiences with you all. It was possibly the hardest thing I've done but would I do it all again.......in a heart beat.
Thanks again, signing out Reevesy-Ryder!

Riding Stats
> 27th Oct - 58km
> 29th Oct - 121km
> 30th Oct - 194km
> 1st Nov - 110km
> 2nd Nov - 100km
> 3rd Nov - 90km
SEA total - 4561km
SA total - 8618km
Grand total - 13,179km

Other Stats
Highest Cycling - 4700m (Bolivia)
Longest Day - 215km (Peru)
Shortest Day - 6km (Chile)
Punctures - 5 plus one blow out
Crashes - only one (Colombia)
Daily Average distance (SEA) - 103km
Daily Average distance (SA) - 108km

Vang Vieng, Laos to Nong Khai, Thailand

This section didn't involve much riding as once I arrived in Vang Vieng it was definitely a hard place to leave especially with all the activities on offer and the great people I met there. The main reason to go here is for the tubing, which is a lot of fun but as I found out can have it's pitfalls! Renting a tractor inner tube and being driven by tuk tuk 3 kms out of town you then enter the river and float back to into town. Sounds easy and pretty harmless but just to keep it exciting there are open air bars serving beer and shots with rope swings and zip lines situated along the river making for a fun but full on day. After a couple of minor injuries it was off to hospital the next day where the practices and care aren't quite up to the same standards as back home so it was an experience I could have done without! This also meant that I had to have a few days off the bike so it was a good opportunity to take in all the other sights and activities of the place and to do some relaxing. Finally back on the bike I cruised down to the capital of Laos, Vientiane where I was meant to get the bike fixed. My contact was away on holidays so I decided just to continue on back into Thailand where I'm currently relaxing at a hostel situated right on the Mekong river. The plan now is to cycle back to Bangkok and finish my cycling trip there all the time hoping the bike stays together. After 10 months and many adventures it will all be over in another week or so where I will have to consider working again!

Riding Stats
> 19th Oct - 157km
> 21st Oct - 27km
Total - 3888km