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On Saturday night we started our journey to Laos. What a journey! We had to go to the place where we booked our trip to get the bus that takes us to the Thailand/Laos border to get visas to get a bus to our destination in Laos, Vang Vien. We needed snaks for the bus so went to...Tesco!! With a budget of just 100 baht (around 2 pound) we manged to get salt and vinegar and ready salted crisps, some biscuits and some cheese buscuits. Although when we went to eat the crisps we found we had actually bought seaweed flavour and spicy seafood crisps! Idiots! We got picked up from the travel office, not by a bus, but by a family! They then drove us about 20min to the bus station. They were a nice family but it was very strange. The mum then helped us get our tickets and on to the right bus, she was lovely, we call her Thai mum after previously adopting a plane mum who helped us in Birmingham. The bus left about hour late, Louise was stressing at this, she is very impatient (sorry Lou but its true).
The bus gave us little snacks too, a savory muffin and green tea (they were thrown away), blankets and some dodgey Thai soap to watch on route. The bus was supposed to reach the border at 7.30 am, so when the lights came on and our blankets were took off us at 5am we were a little worried and confussed. After seeing a sign with the distance to the border (still a long way off) so stole our blankets back and went back to sleep. We reached the border at about 6am to be greeted by lots of stares and people waving like we were circus freaks. Altho we cant have been a pretty sight that time in the morning. A few helpful people sorted us out with a tuk-tuk to get our visa and from there transport to the Loas capital, Vietiane was sorted. Here we had a few hours to spare before getting another bus to Vang Vien. This bus was not as comfortable! Our knees were touching the seats infront, the air-cons were leaking (not ours tho) and the driver was a little erratic over the very bumpy roads!
When we arrived in Vang Vien we found a little town? Lots of little cafes and hut like shops, not really lots to entertain us. Altho randomaly friends was palyed on repeat continually in the cafes!
Got to go now, will tell you about our tubing adventures soon xx
Im back!! So we booked a trip to go caving, tubing, eat in a traditional Laos village and see the amazing views! We set off with outr group in the morning and had a very little journey across the river in a motor boat to the othersie, it was a bit tricky getting in and out as it was very wobbly, but we survived. We then took a little trek across a few fields to where we would be doing the caving. Im not quite sure what we expeted, but I dont think it was this. We had a rubber tyre ring each to lay in and had to hold on to a rope to pull ourselves through the caves (part of which were very low ). When we were inside the water level was too high so we had to crawl through the very low caves. Very funny to watch the person in front, for me that was Louise!! Rolling around trying to army crawl on the clay avoiding the stones, its entertainment! We built a lucky buddha out of stones whilest in there and covered our faces in lucky clay. At some point we swapped places and Louise had all the laughs watching me roll around trying not to hit my head and scrape me knees. When we got out the cave you were suppossed to keep holding on to the rope, but the next group was holding on to so we had to let go. This meant the current took you! I managed to flap my arms enough to safety but Louise had to be rescued before she was swept down the little drop just around the corner. We then aeat a traitional Loas meal (rice and veg kebab) before moving on to go tubing!
Tubing involved sitting in this rubber tyre and letting the current take you down the river, it was great fun. On the way you pass several bars, to stop at the bars they throw plastic bottles (full of water) attached on a rope at you for you to 'catch' and they pull you in. From this we came home in lots of little bruises, or big bruises in Louise's case! From one bar there was a pretty big slide which threw you back into the river, looked fun so I had a go. There were also rope swings and zip wires into the river. When we started one journey down the river our tour guides shouted at me and Lou 'wathch the bump', we translated this as 'watch the bar' as that was our next stop. Next thing we hit some massive bump in the middle of the river and bounced scaping our bums along the way!! Loved the journey back down the river, just floating, trying not to get stuck in any bushes along the sie (there was only onew close call) an being entertained by 2 people in our group trying to passa camera along without it getting wet or dropping it.
After our busy day we went to check up on a few emails, spent much longer than we thought in there, went to pay to find we didn't have enough money! Embarrasing! Louise left her (broken) phone as assurance we would be back to pay. We went to get some money from our safe to pay our debits but the desk was closed and we couldn't get it til the morning. Oh dear. We paid up in the morning but didn't go back there again.
We had another very bumpy bus journey back to Vientiane. We were again a little worried when getting on the bus. The bags were going on top of the minibus so had to be thrown on, typically we were too bothered about getting a good seat so on we popped and assumed some strong man would sort our bags our for us. Everyone else piled on the minibus and our bags still sat there, we were trapped in and started to panic slightly. But all turned out fine and we saw them launched up and put on the rack. We are currently spending our last night here and are looking forward to moving on as we saw it all in a day! We have discovered we truely are city girls and want a bit more hussle and bussle.
- comments
Anita (mam) Can't believe you went all that way to shop at Tesco !!!
Cathy bumps, bruises, you call that entertainment, now I know that I am old. Have fun though it was good reading about it.
jackie Tesco's !!! Hmm very upmarket. Sounds like great fun lol the length's you will go to to get a drink though. Love the photos so far and sitting here chuckling reading your blog. Take care on the next leg of your journey. Jackie xx
jane you sound like Tarzan girl I think her name was Jane.Those crisps sound quite nice wonder if I could get them over here.You both seem to be having wonderful adventure with not much clothing on,I have just put my winter duvet on bed, that's how chilli it is today.Carry on having fun this is the highlight of my day. Grandad goes Blackpool tomorrow,wonder if he will have a blog.love you lotsxx
anita tilley well hannah sounds like your having fun!! rather you than me though might get my bottom stuck. Do you think grandma would of done it. hope your angel is keep you safe xx