RTG Hanoi Daily Dispatch - for website 2 - Flipbook - Page 32
27 January to
23 February 2024
Day 17 Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang (198km)
13 February 2024
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
the 48-hour car of dick appleton and Chris mills had put in a marathon session to amend today’s
route, picking up where the road maintenance teams had left off. From the thick sheave of notes which
dropped onto our breakfast tables we learned that, like yesterday, we were to expect potholes, and lots
of them. But, at least today we’d now know exactly where they were.
the scenery, however, was quite magnificent and, right from the hotel door, an avenue of jagged peaks took us up
the valley to the summit time Control, in a cafe at 1900m. here we enjoyed huge views over the mountains below us
and, with hairpin after hairpin on the approach, the section left the crews as breathless as their engines. What goes up
must inevitably come down and, after a quick break for coffee and cake, the route plunged into a helter-skelter descent
towards a test, a regularity and a buffet lunch.
nigel and sally Woof lost their brakes on the long downhill. thankfully andy inskip and Charlie neale arrived on the
scene just as they were cool enough to bleed and adjust. Within minutes the sweep crew had sent the volvo on its way
with no risk of incurring any penalties.
the test was two laps around the luang Prabang stadium’s perimeter and, a mere 7km down the road, the day
finished with the golf Club regularity. this was a 5km section on the buggy track of the 18-hole course. We witnessed
several good drivers, and every navigator, putting themselves to the test.
the night halt was the Pullman hotel in the beautiful little town of luang Prabang, situated on the confluence of the
nam Khan and the mekong rivers. there was time after lunch for the crews to dive deep into the history of this former
royal capital and seat of government.
www.rallytheglobe.com
