Hola Laos

From Nha Trang I got the overnight sleeper bus to Hue. This bus is amazing, with three rows of tiny bunk beds that go all the way back--it`s unlike any bus I`ve ever seen. To my surprise, my bed was right next to two familiar faces--a couple of Swedish sisters that I had met in Ko Pha Ngan the night before the full moon party. It was good to see them again, and since we were going the same way it was nice to have some people to travel with for a bit, too.

I left a rainy Nha Trang only to arrive to a rainier Hue. Trying to figure out how to get to the border required lots of walking around in that rain and by that afternoon, deprived of sleep, wet, and cold I urgently needed a warm shower and some sunshine. By 9 that night I had found a luke-warm shower (thanks to the guy in the restaurant that we thought was trying to scam us), which was fine and the next day Laos would bring me sunshine.

Starting at 6am, we left Dong Ha for Savannaket. 9 hours later we had made it; happy to be out of the rain, Laos was a wonderful change. The girls decided that they would go down south to check out the place where the Mekong splinters into 4000 islands, and the only home of the Irrawady Dolphin, only 100 left of the species. Because I would have to be back in Savannaket in less than 2 weeks, I decided to begin the 20 or so hours north...that I would then have to retrace.

While in Savannaket I met Jookky, a 29 year old Laotian woman who speaks very good English, has lived recently in Holland and who had many interesting ideas about her country and the world--from a perspective that is very unique. We chatted for about 3 hours--really interesting to hear what she thinks about her country, its future, government, etc.

On the bus to Vietniane I sat next to a sweet-looking old man. Since he spoke no English and I no Lao, our only communication was through sharing food with one another. The bus was surprisingly well air-conditioned and even had a TV and a good stereo system. Unfortunately, it only had two DVD/VHS tapes. The first was a compilation of music video that were hilarious. Basically all the same, it was a group of scantily clad 17 year old girls doing a very out of sync choreographed dance with moves picked straight out of Napoleon Dynamite. They formed the background for a small man wearing a tucked in shirt and leather jacket that both are too big for him, jeans and white Reeboks--awkwardly snapping his fingers to the tune he was singing. Production quality circa 1991. The second was a variety game show/comedy act--someone running around on stage with a blue wig, a man dressed as a woman--hilarious.

Vientiane is very quiet for a captal city. But that`s what makes it nice, I suppose. Been here now for 3 days and have had a nice time getting to know it. Tonight I`ll move on to Luang Prabang on the overnight bus. In two nights in Vientiane, I've managed to stay in a dorm that has the warm feel of a prison without the bars and a slightly better hotel with a sign on the wall of the shared bathroom that reads "DO NOT Throw the soap or make dirty in the water tank. Thanks" If I had known, I wouldn't have!

Before I left, though, I had to sort out my second visa for Vietnam. Because guesthouses and travel agents charge a commission, I decided to go to the Vietnamese Embassy and take care of it there. There are few I dislike more than corrupt visa/border people. The bastard was trying to charge me more than if I had paid the commission to have it brought from the guesthouse to get the very same visa. When I pointed this out to him, he told me with an evil face to go back to the guesthouse if it is cheaper there. This would mean that I would either have to wait around Vientiane or travel without my passport. So instead of paying this guy's corrupt fee, I had a copy made and will return in a week or so to pick up my passport. Hopefully I'll get my passport back, considering I already had a fight with the guy who will be in possession of it for the next 3 days.