Smokers can't even enjoy a visit to the buddhist temple anymore!
Last night I got ready to send this blog, but it had started raining, and there was heavy cloud cover, and therefore no internet!This morning I woke early and the WIFI portion was apparently turned off. Now - at 6:30 in morning, the service is coming and going - I uploaded a picture - but then I lost service.
This is large town, 55,000 people, and lots of tourist. I am going to a town of 6,000 people and not many tourist! This may be the last of my blogs for a while- but we'll see.
I will upload what I have - if I can - and try to add photos as the as the weather permits.
Also let me say I lost yesterdays blog! I know I posted a blog from a cyber cafe in Vietianne, but I see today - that its not HERE!
Not an ideal blogging area!!!!
So briefly, yesterday I got some errands done in town, and bought a ticket on a VIP night bus to Luang Prabang. That''s about half way to Phongsali.
So here the story begins again thinking that you knew about my 12 hour night bus trip.
Last night I traveled on a VIP bus from Vientiane to here - Luang Prabang, a 12 hour trip.
I had high expectations of a nice deluxe bus for some reason. I guess I am just an eternal optimist.
Well the bus was a disappointment. The AC didn't work very cooley, and the seats were not
VIP quality. They were better than the train the other night however, so I was thankful for
that. We had seat assignments, that's good, but we also had ten other passengers with no
regular seats, so they sat on little plastic stools in the aisle.
They sat on the stools - that is until we got out of town, then all the men laid down in the
aisle. The bus wasn't long enough for each man to have his own space (there were two or three women) so one man would spread his legs apart, and the next man would put his head
between the guys legs up to about his knees, lay on his back and do the same thing for the
next guy. It looked like a pretty rough deal to me, and talk about being disappointed in VIP
bus service - I think that would have done it for me. Maybe they got a discount ticket.
On a VIP bus the ticket does include a buffet dinner about half way through the trip.
Our first stop was after about three hours. The driver just stopped the bus in the middle of the road and he got out of the bus, and eventually the men in the aisle woke up and got off the bus so the rest of us could get off.
This was a toilet break. We were in what appeared to be a jungle, and definitely no vehicle
traffic to disturb us in our activities along the road. The women went to the front, and
the men went to the back. It was very nice and the weather was cool.
Our dinner stop came about 2 a.m. It was very typical. An open air buffet restaurant, with
toilets out back. I did not find any of the dishes appealing, but since it was included, I
got in Line! The table next to me had a visitor, a cat, but no one at the table seemed to mind. The cat would not have been as well received on my table
I chose white rice and broiled-boiled chicken pieces, and what I thought was shredded
chicken and some green beans. - Mama and Anna always say "you need something green".
I have not seen or eaten chicken cut up this way since I was in the "war" eating in a
village when they literally just chopped up a whole chicken. The sharp bones can be
dangerous.
What I thought was shredded chicken (that's what it looked like - no logical thought process
was used I'm sure to determine in my mine that it was chicken) was some kind of tangy vegetable that was almost good, but I did not eat it.
And the rice was very similar to their favorite over here - Sticky rice - which I do
not like, so --- I picked at my chicken and strange vegetable and ate the green beans and
was very satisfied. I also noticed by this time the air was cooler and the bus was very
comfortable, and I was doing just fine.
We arrived in Luang Prabang about 7 a.m. and the bus terminal is about a $4.00 trip into
town. I had met a Canadian young lady who is a veterinarian working in Laos for three
months and she was on a three day vacation trip. She had a guide coming to meet her at the
bus station so I got a ride with them to town for free. That was good. They dropped me off
in the "guesthouse" area and they continued on to the hotel area I'm sure.
I got a room at the "Sengphet Guesthouse", where I had stayed 2 years ago. It cost 70,000 kip, $8.50 in US dollars. It has one of the best showers in the country, plus an overhead FAN
and TV. Plus its a corner room with lots of windows, and has a Roman toilet, with toilet
paper, soap, and large nice towel! AND then, in the lobby they always have a thermos of hot
water .. for coffee, tea , or noodle soup.
I mean - can it be better that this!!!
I ate rice porridge at a place across the street. It was very good and cost 8,000 kip or $1.00.
It was different from "noodle soup".
Luang Prabang, a big tourist town, is about half way to Phongsali. Where I'm going.
In looking for bus possibilities - some travel agents said a bus that went to Phongsli wasn't available, or they did not handle that route, or - check with the agent next door.
But I found two agents who had exactly the same story. That yes there was a bus that went all the way to Phongsali from Luang Prabang.
The bus is a "LOCAL BUS" that leaves here in the afternoon - 5p.m. or so, and goes all the way to Phongsali, arriving there the next morning.
Now this time I kinda know what I'm getting. Not a VIP bus, not an AC bus, not a delux bus. A local bus, can't get much worse than that.
So knowing that , ... think I can do okay. I know I can handle a 12 to 15 hour bus trip in a
miserable bus. I know if the windows open, it will be cool enough(except in rain, then local
people always shut all windows and its bad.)
The alternative to a all night bus trip is a half day trip to an ugly little town where I
would spend the night, and then travel half a day the next day. So as of now, I'll take the
whole thing at one time. In two days I may reevaluate that choice.
My bus trip up from Vietianne to here cost $19.50. So thats bus travel plus hotel for one
night. This trip from Luang Prabang to Phongsali cost $19.50. My overnight train ride from
Bangkok to Vientianne cost $18.28.
So that is a total of $57.28 to travel a long way and spend three nights. I do not know how
many miles.
I saw my first straw hat in the market today, so I bought it. it cost 30,000 Kip, $3.65. I
hope it survives the bus trip!
be back tomorrow.
Johnny
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