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Nong Khai - Vientiane - Hat Khai
It was a long cold journey. Morning in Nong Khai was unusually cold. I had to put a fleece on. With a hindsight I wish I wore my long trousers and hiking shoues too. David, me and Pai took a tuk tuk to the Friendship Bridge and then Pai realised that she forgot her passport. So we carried on thru with the border control and Pai had to rush back to get her passport. WE were to meet on the other side, in Laos. A bus (15 Baht) took us over the brodge to Laos where we had to queue and wait for a visa for ovrer 30 minutes. Paicought up with us by that time and three of us got a mini van to Vientianne to meet Sven. Thirty minutes later we were sitting in a Scandinavian Bakery in Nam Phu. Tory and Will were also waiting for me upstairs and it was really nice to see them. We chatted for an hour and then it was time to go and meet the German guy, Klaus, from The Green Dicovery tours, people I should be involved with during my project in Laos. This meeting was a bit of a fiasco and I shall write about it at some other time.
Next part of the journey, Vientiane to Hat Khai was really tough. First long, 30 minute tuk tuk ride to a South Bus Station. I thought we were gonna take a regular bus to the village. But a Bus turned out to be a large tuk tuk - they call it 'jumbos' sometimes. I can't possibly describe how cold and uncomfortable it was. The benches were very narrow, just enought to rest the edge of one's bottom on it. It was getting dark and we were really cold. I had a sarong wrapped around my neck and a fleece zipped up to my neck, with the hood on and I was still freezing. It took 2.5 hours to get to the village. Before we even arrived I knew my sinus infection was back with vengence. Glands on my neck were hurting and I had a splitting headache. Finally we arrived. Pai introduced us to our host, Kam Poon, and went to home to her mother's house. It wa saround 7pm. We were given some dinner: sticky rice, thai omlet and some noodles for David (they were wheat noodles). It was fine. WE only had enough energy left to brush our teeth and pee. The toiletbathroom is a small hut outside the main building with no lights, a squatting toilet and a big barrel of water with a small bawl in it for flushingthe toilet and washing. David and I have aroom to ourselves, with matresses on the floor and mosquito nets. WE fell asleep pretty quickly because we were so shattered. I woke up at 5 bacause I needed a pee. Head torch on (Thank you guys!!!), I went out. It was not as bad as I expected. I came back upstairs to sleep but the roosters and the dogs have started their morning symphony. It wasn't easy to fall asleep but eventually I did.
Welcome to Ban Hat Khai!
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