Day 90, kong-lor Cave:

This morning I hired a motorbik (that's what the sign said it was) to ride to kong-lor cave. The bloke who was hiring it out performed a brief safety check, which as far as I could see involved checking that both the front and rear wheels where present and that it started. He then gave me the keys. Not wanting to embarrass myself or risk having the motorbike taken away, I did not admit I had very little idea how one was supposed to operate a motorbik. The 'little idea' I had came from the Australian moped tourer we met a week ago when I asked him what all the flappy chrome leavers by his feet did. I jolted and lurched down the road, the neglected kickstand still deployed and scraping the gravel. I picked up Amy and we wobbled off to get food and fuel (although I didn't know where to put the fuel). We made it to the caves, dodging 70% of the major potholes and having very little capability of stopping. The front brake was less effective than pushing limp celery against the wheel and although the back brake worked satisfactorily, it was operated by a right hand foot peddle; a reflex action I had yet to master. Along the way I admired amazing rock formations in the distance for the very brief moments that I dared afford the slightest bit of concentration on something other than trying to drive a moped without hitting a villager.

 

The caves were formed by a river which runs 8km through a mountain. We took a motorised wooden canoe, admiring illuminated stalactites and stalagmites along the way. After lunch, we visited konglo village to find a family that both my brothers had visited in the past to make it a hatrick. Unfortunately, only the mother was home, and we woke her from her siesta. She seemed to find the situation quite funny though.

 

 

 A quest completed. All three brothers have now visited this poor family in Laos.

 

 Before returning the scooter, we then took it to the top of a hill we will have to cycle up tomorrow so Amy could gauge how much effort would be required of her and to admire the view.

Perhaps the scariest thing possible