Laos Long Cheng To Kasi

Total distance covered 188km.

After a restful two nights in Long Cheng it was off to Kasi, decided to go a different option and take the ferry boat near Phu Bia, the boat landing has moved slightly and is now at N18.89510° E102.83320° 

We had been told it runs every two hours which is not the case, it leaves daily from Natou at 12 noon, the ferry takes around two hours. It is also not a roll on ferry as we had been told but a simple passenger ferry so big bikes will have a problem.

We arrived in good time to catch what we had been told was the 10am ferry which was not to be so hung around  chilling.

The floating pontoon was for the regular shuttle of the Phu Bia workers.

Cozy floating restaurant.

Once it was clear we had a long wait i contemplated backtracking top the 6305 but we had time in hand so waited.

Phu Bia shuttle complete with armed guards.

We had hoped for a roll on ferry but the passenger boat to the left in the picture was to be our transport.

After a bit of pushing and shoving we managed to get aboard ( fee for the trip was a rip off of 100k kip) 

Flat as a mill pond.

Des contemplating.

A few small settlements along the waters edge.

Extracting the bikes was not so easy.

Fortunately we had lots of willing hands since our bikes had trapped the smaller bikes in 😀

The landing point has also moved to N18.82584° E102.65382°

Once back on terra firma the trail is very rocky but uneventful, as we made our way to the 5B junction.

Large rock on the route 5 before the junction

Once on the paved stuff nice easy ride to Nam Pat.

Decided to check out one of the new high speed rail stations (Chinese built) N19.26435° E102.23290°.

We had been told most of the GH’s in Kasi are occupied by Chinese rail workers so we stopped for a beer on the North side of town and bumped into Tom who has an off road teaching school which also has a few rooms so we checked in N19.24005° E102.26673°.

Cozy rooms but no hot water and dangerous stairs into the bathroom.

Entertaining night was to be had in the company of uncle Tom and tomorrow we planned on taking the new road to Luang Prabang.