While we found it best to fly as much as possible in Myanmar, Bus is the way to go in Lao and Thailand other than to Bkk.
I'd purchases a return ticket to Vientiane from Van Vieng when first in the capital, thinking I'd need to figure out the rest of the trip to Ubon from there. But when I arrived for my 9AM bus minibus, I saw a big bus going on to Udorn and stopping in Nong Khai, so I upgraded my ticket and took the 10AM big bus.
It took quite a while for them to get the aircon working. As tuktuks arrived and discharged more and more people the big bus began to smell like a gym.
They had oversold the bus, so the obvious solution was to add more chairs, which two German fellows gladly did.
The last fellow on brought with him a bag of durian - a rather rotten smelling fruit. We all groaned and the bus driver gave him a couple more bags to wrap around the sealed package, and had him put it in a box up front. HE had taken quite a liking to it, and ate it daily. There was of course no seat for him, so a senior Lao lady gave him her seat and joined the central aisle, only close to the driver allowing her to carry on a three hour lively conversation and also get him to let her stop and buy specialty items along the way and be let off near a hospital in Vientiane.
Many of us jumped off at this unauthorized stop and bought stuff. For me it was bananas and a bag of what turned out to be slightly sweet chips. And they had fiddleheads! Haven't heard of eating those outside of Maine and Ireland.
Five hours later we hit the Friendship Bridge and the confusion of Lao Immigration - they now charge 10,000 kip or 40 Baht to exit Lao. I guess they have to pay for their new card pass machines.
I'd booked a night at Mut Mee Guest House on the Mekong River and after a refreshing shower enjoyed the view and a most delicious Shui Shii Fish dinner. I asked the cook for the recipe and hope I can find all the ingredients.
-On the road with Kathryn
Location:Nong Khai
No comments:
Post a Comment