Matthijs goes round the world (back again)

From Lisse to Lisse, and in between across the world. I made it. Europe, Arabia and Asia. Then over to the U.S. and there from coast to coast. Now I'm back in Lisse. Full of stories.



Already six months I've been sitting on my bike. Many turns missed, many taken. A bicycle journey like this one is almost impossible to plan; and no matter how ingrained it is in my system, I just cannot stick to the planning. Let go and move on is my motto.

Already after two weeks I had changed my plans and to this day I keep changing them. In broad terms, the plan was to cycle to China and cheer on some of the rowers from my old club. Due to the strict rules in China, this plan fell through.

When I arrived in Thailand I decided to make an adventure out of my emergency and cycle around South East Asia. From Bangkok I rode to Vientiane. Cycling through Thailand is a joy and not really a huge challenge, but that makes it no less fun or interesting. Cycling along nicely paved roads, the only thing missing is English signposting. Cycling around Bangkok is a big chore - there seems to be no end to that city, and everywhere are Thais riding on the left-hand side on scooters and Tuk-Tuks.

After Bangkok I visited Ayuthaya, once the ancient capital of Thailand. Beautiful old stupas, and who says avoids the rainy season?! You won't take photos like this outside of the rainy season - brilliant skies combined with the historic buildings make for gorgeous pictures. After this city, I quickly went up to Laos. Beautiful villages en route, but above all wonderfully easygoing people in Thailand.

Everywhere, and then really everywhere, people are laughing, cooking and eating. A truck driver will begin to slow down as he approaches, and when he passes me the driver will stick his thumb up passionately. This is Thailand - or rather - these are the Thai people.



After a little ride on the Thailand-Lao Friendship Bridge across the Mekong, I am in the country where the most bombs have fallen, the country officially known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the land of the communist Kaysone, but above all the land of the Lao themselves. Vientiane, the capital city, has about 250,000 inhabitants.

If you leave the tourists and the tourist spots behind, and wander through the narrow streets around the temples, you can imagine yourself to be fifty years in the past. Vientiane is a city to rediscover again and again, to return here to eat pancakes and drink the famous ice-coffee. Vientiane has become a tourist haven in recent years and is bursting with expats, but if you are willing to leave the well-beaten tourist paths behind during the evening, you'll see the real Vientiane.

As friendly as always, you will find yourself being greeted with "Sabaai-Dii". Boys play on the street with a kind of woven football. With agile leaps they try to get the ball over a net in order to score – somewhat like volleyball. In addition, just as in neighboring Thailand there is cooked noodle soup, spring rolls and pancakes - I have a particular weakness for this last one. At any time of day I can be found searching for a baker. Served on a large plate with lots of oil and a knob of butter, and another knob of butter placed inside. It is often filled with banana and after being turned over a few times time and some knobs of butter later, the pancake is ready. It is served on a greaseproof paper. Only greaseproof paper can withstand this fatty mass. Regardless of that, it's a delicacy for me.