After trying without success to go north by boat up the Mekong (with Claude and Erika in their Swiss-registered Landcruiser), it was time to take the road-route, and pound the tarmac again. Or pound whatever the surface of the road happened to be.

North of Luang Prabang, the road takes on the appearance of a pre-war country road which suffered several air attacks, and hasn't seen as much as a lick of paint since.

A road with great scenery again. However there is one scene which I shall never forget as long as I continue to consume oxygen: on hearing a "noise", turning to look through the rear window, and NOT seeing the normal view of a bike. Panic, stop, jump out, run around the back of the truck.

The folks of Luang Prabang. Right, Claude & Erika in a Swiss-registered Landcruiser, and left, Jo & Elliot at their "Superheros" fancy dress party.

Harry Potter, Naked Chef, Bicycle Repair Man... is going as a Monty Python character showing one's age?

The A-frame of the trailer had split, and the tail of the trailer was being dragged along the ground. Fortunately, it was still connected, so I didn't have to go foraging through the local foliage for a wheeled box, looking suspiciously out of place.

In the middle of nowhere, on a dirt road. The recovery of the trailer onto an army flatbed truck. The words "improvise" and "ingenuity" were stretched to their full limits here.

There is something to be said for not travelling light. Apart from the timber planks, everything need for the rescue was on board. Which was fortunate. The Laos army base didn't have enough flip-flops to go around, let alone a winch, shackles, snatch block ...