Friday was a day of roads. A Rally signifies plenty of travel, and
by how the itinerary went for the day, we’ve completed that one
criterion in large doses!
Breakfast at Vietnam, lunch at Cambodia and dinner at Laos- three meals
spread over 3 countries! The ASEAN India Car Rally 2012 left Vietnam
after a short and low-key flag off at the Independence Palace early in
the morning, heading to Cambodia again, to cross over to Laos. The
Vietnamese convoy of bikes that earlier guided us to the city now helped
us out of it. The drive up to lunch was relatively smooth, and somewhat
familiar, as we had spent quite a while on the Cambodian road. Before
the crossing formalities, we stopped for lunch. Lunch was a short
affair, as we had to drive a long way ahead.
What is a Rally without a few bumps? ‘Few’ is quite an understatement. A
little while before we crossed the Cambodian border, the roads got a
little bumpy. But while we could see it, the Mahindra XUV500s made a
smooth drive over them. We entered Laos late last evening. The
countryside passed us and soon we were at our hotel of reception.
After a formal welcome and a good night’s sleep, we set off on Saturday
morning to visit the famous temples in Wat Phu, Laos. The site once
again took us to another era. It was after that, that the AICR headed
for Savannakhet. We were greeted in traditional Laotian style at the
Hotel Daosavanh. A beautiful arrangement of flowers, and a great dinner
swept part of the tiredness away.
We had an early start on Sunday, to Vientiane which is 464 km away. All
those of you planning to vacation should really consider a road trip to
South-East Asia. Known extensively for the cities like Bangkok and
Phuket, the roads too are a drive to remember if you’re in sturdy
vehicles like a Mahindra XUV500, which takes on a variety of terrains
like cakewalk!
Pha That Luang greeted us on Sunday, where the flag down was hosted by
the local ministerial dignitaries. They gave the participants of the
rally a privileged tour of the site, telling us more about the culture
of Laos! With these dignitaries honouring the officials from the Rally,
including India’s Neerja Bhatia of Rally Partners CII, our day was
made! After our flag down from there, we left for Vientiane, the capital
city of Laos! We stopped at Hotel Paksan for lunch, our last in this
country.
We were all excited about our drive to our next stop- Don Chan Palace
hotel at Vientiane. A ceremonious stage was set for our welcome. As the
convoy lined up, and the formalities started, we were greeted warmly. An
evening of entertainment, including performances by Indian dancers and
Laotian gymnasts followed, leaving us spellbound and a little sad that
we should be leaving behind another country.
This flag-off we shall remember not only as our last in Laos, but
because it was our last with Renuka Kirpalani and Neerja Bhatia- who
were among those who formed the backbone of the Rally. It’s with their
support that we’ve come this far, and now that the team has spent more
than 2 weeks together, we’ll definitely miss them!
Along with the formalities, there was a balloon-releasing event held to
signify our leaving Laos at this flag off. The abundant balloons lit up
the faces of all of us present there! Ambassador to Laos PDR, Gururaj
Rao cut the ribbon and sent the balloons free, biding us farewell in a
unique way. Another country now past us, we look forward to new
experiences, not forgetting the ones we’ve had here.
With the flag off lifting our spirits, the ASEAN-India Car Rally 2012
set off for Sukothai, our stop in Thailand, which we shall pass through
again as we make our way to Myanmar.