Life Lesson From a 2,000-km Bike Ride in Laos

The photograph was taken in Wat Mai, Luang Prabang.

I am a cyclist from Cambodia who has had the privilege to ride a bicycle in virtually every province and city in Laos. This includes a cycling expedition I accomplished around Southeast Asia last year. Laos is a landlocked country with tremendous natural resources. I am a bicycle adventurer who connects to these incredible natural treasures. Laos gave me a significant life lesson: the effort to overcome all obstacles. The land is full of high mountains and dense forests, and it is very remote from each town in the north, giving me a chance to discover who I am. In the darkness of night, I seemed to be on another planet, living alone with nature’s melody, the stars shining brightly, and gazing up at a scene that not everyone can see. No wonder.

As for the Lao people, they have a similar lifestyle to the Cambodian people, and I notice that they always smile and welcome travelers like me. I always ask for accommodations, especially in the Buddhist pagoda. When I stay in those places, I have peace of mind, which saves me a lot of money on accommodation in guesthouses or hotels. Throughout the journey, I shared these pictures from my camera, leaving everyone in awe of their beauty.

This milky way photo was taken somewhere in central-north Laos.

However, they frequently inquired, “Are you not afraid to stay alone in isolated places?”

I always assure them that my job is motivated by love and compassion. You won’t experience fear when you are in deep love. Love has a great power that we can’t imagine, and affection can eliminate all fear.

These images were taken in various Buddhist monasteries during the cycling mission.

From the southern part of Laos to the capital, Vientiane, I continued my journey up the country’s north-central region and traveled along the vast Mekong River to the Lao-Thai border. Throughout the entire month I spent traveling through Laos, I found immense joy in numerous experiences, including one that I seemed to have anticipated. I believe that an accident may have occurred during this cycling mission. Unlike last year’s cycling mission, I was lucky enough to return home safe and sound, but this time I had an accident outside Vientiane the day I left for another destination. I don’t have any intention to stay here longer; I have to spend more time to solve these problems. I sustained mouth injuries and severely damaged my bike, I was required to provide compensation for the car belonging to a Laotian citizen. I made the mistake of cycling during a sleepy moment, resulting in a collision with the car in front of me.

My bike was severely damaged by accident and transported to repair in Vientiane.

This is a mistake that should never have occurred. It seems to give me a message that these things will happen before and after it, but the accident took place in Vientiane, which is a city where these problems may be readily solved. By chance, I met some Cambodians in Vientiane who immediately assisted in solving my problem. I had to go to the hospital while also transporting my bicycle and broken equipment to the repair shop.

“This thing must have happened.”

Staying in Vientiane allowed me to meet many new friends, including a Burmese named Kent. He is a refugee with an unknown abode, forced to fly or travel from one location to another after being deported from his native country owing to Myanmar’s political unrest. We talked a lot about these issues, and he showed me his photography and artwork, including the stand-up protest against Myanmar’s military regime. In addition, I had the opportunity to pay a courtesy call to the Cambodian Ambassador to Vientiane and receive full support for this humanitarian cycling activity. All of this happened for a reason, and it has given me many benefits, most notably an essential reminder that I must be extremely careful and never make mistakes in the future. I successfully fixed my bike, and the re-spraying has somewhat changed my bike’s appearance. Here are some of my stories about cycling through Laos on a mission to raise funds for Cambodian children, an experience I will never forget.

Kent shared his photography and artwork during the Militery coup in Myanmar.

I want to express appreciation to everyone who has supported me while I’ve been in Laos. There’s still a long way to go, and I’m confident I’ll have a lot more stories, that I’ll continue sharing with you all.