Results tagged “Laos”

The following morning, I need to catch a bus to Laos as my Vietnamese visa is expiring and will take too long to extend. I meet a couple of Thai girls that are heading back home, doing the same bus trip. When the Mercedes sprinter bus arrives, I’m told that they won’t take me and that I should wait for another bus.

The bus I travel on is used for daytrips to the DMZ, I’m the only Laos passenger on the bus. After several hours driving, we stop for breakfast and it starts pouring. Since I’m not on the DMZ tour, I don’t get a breakfast, instead, I’m ushered to a minivan. This minivan is not watertight and water starts dripping inside the van, I hope I’m on the right bus and decide I’ll catch up on some sleep on the bus.

After several hours, I am prodded awake by the other passengers and told to get my things and get off the bus. They point the direction I need to walk in and speed off while I’m getting drenched in the rain. After one kilometre’s walk I arrive at the Vietnamese side of the border and go through the necessary formalities.

I cross to the Laos side of the border, where I’m greeted by the two Thai girls I’d met in the morning. Another companion they’d met on the bus is not being given a visa as they don’t like the USD bills he presents them with. I give the guy change for his bills, and after one hour at the border, he can finally enter the country.

The Thai girls, Garbor (the guy with the visa troubles) and I start walking down the road into the border town, with no real idea of where we are going or whether or not we will be meeting a bus. After twenty minutes walking we find our transportation into Savannaket, an old fifties era bus that doesn’t look too roadworthy. We climb aboard and are blinded by a fog of thick smoke. As we cough, we hear the laughter of the culprits responsible, fifteen Laos men decided they’d welcome us to the country by closing all the windows and smoking. They decide we’ve had enough of their welcome after a few minutes and open the windows.

As the smoke clears, we see that the bus is full, everywhere we look there are people, luggage or goods from Vietnam. Our seats are tiny plastic stools placed in the aisle of the bus, we’re told we have six hours and we take off without needing to purchase a ticket.

The bus ride is rough, flat roads are bumpy, the bus is slow and makes a stop every few kilometres as the bus driver is unsatisfied with the amount of passengers on the bus and takes on several more.

After twelve hours of bus travel since the start of the trip, we finally arrive to Savannaket, which is in the middle of celebrating the final day of the three day Thai/Laos New Years Celebration. It’s customary to throw water on anyone and everyone, while we were on the bus as we passed by the groups of locals, those too slow to close their window were given a quick soaking.

In the evening Garbor and I share a room and decide to join in the big water fight. We walk up and down the streets partying with the locals, hopping into their pickups, and dancing to the new Laos national anthem (Flo Rida – Low).

It was too dangerous to carry a camera since it would be soaked. This is the following day, when the eager kids remained on the streets.

In the morning we hire a motorbike to see the town’s sights. The water fight unofficially continues and the whole country has the day off (except those in the tourist industry).

We take a drive down to the local stupa where the locals are pouring water and oil on the many Buddha statues

Afterwards we make a stop at a couple of Wats and the local dinosaur museum – a one room exhibition that the curator is very excited to show us, those of you thinking about visiting, it’s safe to skip.

For lunch we grab some barbecue chicken and liver, and as we’re walking to find somewhere to sit down, a group of locals invite us for a quick lunch beer and to share their food.

We share in lunch, have a few more beers and eight hours later realise that it’s time for my evening bus to Vientiane, something that shouldn’t be done after a long drinking session.