Have you ever wondered what it would be like if someone put beds on a bus? Really? That's a strange thing to think about. But you're actually in luck cause I'm laying in one right now!!!! But first lets talk about how we got to this point.
We spent this morning saying goodbye to our amazing Scottish friends Rebecca and Sanna and having out last 'real' meal for about 24 hours. I have to say i'll miss Vang Vieng. Probably not for the reasons most people do though - drinking for 8 days straight, tubing, watching 96 year old men grind on a dance floor half naked, you know the usual. I think I'll miss the lazy chilled out attitude, the scenery and the 'Friends' bars.
We were picked up at our hotel around 1300 and taken to the bus terminal which is across a dirt airstrip apparently used during the Vietnam war. Our journey is supposed to go something like this: 1330 VIP bus to Vientiane then change buses and take a sleeper bus further south to Pakse, arriving around 0700 tomorrow AM. Well our first bus didn't actually leave until closer to 1500 and as shocking as this may sound, they overbooked so another bus magically appeared. The drive was ok except for the curved roads which made the ol' stomach angry. About 1.5 hours from Vientiane we stopped for a break and then someone said our bus was broken. Some confusion all around a people try to make sense of the situation ... Probably 4 different languages all being tossed around wildly, some very exasperated travelers and one particularly crazy Frech'ish lady all added to the situation. Finally another smaller bus showed up and they filled it up with as many people going further south as possible. Another 1.5 hours later we arrive at a crappy looking bus station and are quickly corralled onto our next bus which of course is a SLEEPER BUS!!!!! The bus is a very large double decker sized vehicle with bunk beds on either side of the center aisle instead of seats. Oh and apparently it's 2 to a bed. Luckily I've already made the acquaintance of my bunk mate :).
The excitement soon wears off as we discover a disgusting backpacker has 'claimed' our bed. It's all very confusing and the bus worker person doesn't seem to want to help much. I think he has a horrific case of gastro cause he's made about 17 trips to te toilet in the last 35 minutes. Anyhow, the filthy turd just say that there are plenty of beds available so we can just go to one of those. He is correct about this however he must not be the seasoned SE Asia travelers we are cause we know without a doubt this bus will not be empty for long. He refuses to be reasoned with so we settle into a bottom bunk rather than argue. The bus leaves only to pull into another bus station where ... Wait for it, wait for it ... Yeppers!!! We pick up about 56 more people including 13 children. Whoopie!!! After a whole lot of complaining and talking and Carolyn coming within 2 seconds of revealing her alter ego (Mrs Long Island), we manage to get the filthy backpacker turd out of his beer/drug/parasite/disease induced coma and into his own bed. But not before he sullied the pillows and sheet with his funk and took the blankets.
So here we are on the top bunk getting ready for some sleepy time. The lights are all off, the A/C is on, 23 Laotians are playing angry birds with the volume set on 'deafening' and the backpacker sleeping in the bunk next to us emanating a stench so foul we initially thought a water buffalo sh*t on the bus.
Sweet dreams from Laos!
Pics:
1) Carolyn in our first bed
2) The Vang Vieng bus station
3) Looking forward in our sleeper bus
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