Day 31 - If you remember what I wrote in the first few days, I mentioned Bangkok was never my favorite city. I took it back. I was so happy to be back to civilizations. So happy that I couldn't stop having a cheerful smile on my face. The smell of concrete, i missed it.
The first thing i did was to go to Ben's bed to apologize for my inappropriate behavior last night. And now, a fresh start in Bangkok. I had such different feeling about this city this time. I never had that appreciation about this city ever before. It was dirty, it was noisy and crowded. But today, i love it. I love its prosperity, I love its flexibility, I love it has everything you want.
Here was the end of my trip in Lao, Thailand here I came back to where I started. Me still being me, but now I had that wonderful story to tell people what I experienced. Lao is indeed a very beautiful country that we, all people, should cherish places like this so pure and so simple on our lonely planet.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Day 30 night - the night train to Bangkok
Still on day 30 - We were on this train back to Bangkok. I took the lower deck this time. Ben was keen to go to the food cart for a drink. So we did. There was music, there was good vibe, there were nice friendly people. We played some drinking games. Somehow I managed to get myself really drunk again. We had the Lao Lao and the Thai whisky. What an evil match.
There was the Thai undercover police sitting at the corner of the food cart. He looked pretty drunk to me. He and the staff on the train were really really friendly to everyone and everyone was having so much fun. I sat by the policeman's table, had some food and chatted with him. He was drinking that whisky. I was supposed to make him drunk thought would be more fun. But it was the other way round. He was drunk, i was beyond drunk.
It was good fun in the food cart but it was a bit nasty at the end. Not here to mention to embarrase myself once again on paper.
It was definitely better to sleep in the lower deck than upper deck. I had real good sleep.
There was the Thai undercover police sitting at the corner of the food cart. He looked pretty drunk to me. He and the staff on the train were really really friendly to everyone and everyone was having so much fun. I sat by the policeman's table, had some food and chatted with him. He was drinking that whisky. I was supposed to make him drunk thought would be more fun. But it was the other way round. He was drunk, i was beyond drunk.
It was good fun in the food cart but it was a bit nasty at the end. Not here to mention to embarrase myself once again on paper.
It was definitely better to sleep in the lower deck than upper deck. I had real good sleep.
Day 30 - crossing border day
Day 30 - time to leave. Feeling a bit bitter sweet today. When is time to leave that means is time to say good bye to this beautiful country. I still couldn't believe one month could pass so quickly. 5 weeks just gone by with a lot of good memories but also a lot of frustrations. I really enjoy the harmony in general in Lao. Yet, I did look forward to civilizations.
Before we left, mama from the mama's guesthouse where we were staying, she politely and cheerly tried to tie a little white string on our wrists. The white string represents good luck in the Lao tradition. It was nothing but a very warm wishing. I was touched.
Now was time to say good bye. We left Don Det, took a long tail back to where we came. From there we got to take a mini bus to the Thai Lao international bus station back to Thailand. The bus ride was quite an experience. There were 2 mini buses first dropped by the bus station then would take the others back to Pakse. Our mini bus broke down on the way. Me and Ben had no Lao money left (thought we would reach thailand in couple hours, we spent that all), no water, no food. It was very very hot on the road, we had no where to hide. The other mini bus dropped off the passengers to a very small grocery store nearby and headed back to pick us up to the same store while waiting for our bus to be fixed. It was very common that vehicles broke down here in Lao. It happened to me several times in this trip. It could take 15 mins to an hour. I should be more prepared.
We had to buy 2 cans of soda using our USD. As the locals don't know how what was the currency conversion rate, each costed us USD 1 dollar a can, which equivalent to a meal in most places in Lao. Doesn't matter. At least something cold and moist. That was what matters. We left the unfinished drinks on the road next to the minibus while we went checking out the fixing situation. Less than 5 mins, our drinks were gone. Then we saw the mother who sold us the sodas and her little boy were drinking our drinks!! bummer! They looked so cheerful enjoying our drinks looking at us yet a bit cheeky. I wanted to laugh but also was thinking "oh my Goodness! Are you joking me?"
The bus was finally fixed but it couldn't go too far. Therefore, the drivers suggested passengers going to Pakse would go into the fixed bus directly to Pakse and people going to the station including ourselves would go into the other bus directly to the station as the last Thai-Lao bus would leave soon. Here came the drama. Those travelers originally sitting in the "good" minibus were reluctant to swop. They gave the drivers so much shit and they just sat in the bus reluctant to move. The "broken" bus was fixed but just that it couldn't go too far worry that it might overheat.
After a long while of struggling, some passengers were willing to move to the other bus. Most of us squeezed into the "good" bus, but there was still one passenger couldn't fit in because the bus was fully overloaded. It would take those passengers another 30 mins to go Pakse in this bus because it had to drop us first to the bus station. The guy stood by the door was almost begging if anyone going to Pakse would offer to swop. Yet, no one moved and they kept telling the driver to drive. It was such a nightmare and what a scene to see these people so selfishly didn't give a concern to anybody else but themselves. There was a 50-year-old American traveler, who was going to Pakse, sitting next to the driver said "that is not my business. I don't give a shit". I couldn't be more disgusted by these people. At last, I offered to sit on the minibus floor between the driver seat and the passenger seat right on the hand brake in order to let the last passenger to get on this bus. Finally we could leave. It was alomst 45 mins of struggling and looking at these people. We are all civilized people. Where is the caring? Where is the generosity? That made me sick.
We managed to take the last Thai-Lao bus of today and reached Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. We had to take a tuc tuc to the train station to go Bangkok. Before the overnight train, we had that bbq chicken nearby the train station. It was so good! All frustration went away.
Before we left, mama from the mama's guesthouse where we were staying, she politely and cheerly tried to tie a little white string on our wrists. The white string represents good luck in the Lao tradition. It was nothing but a very warm wishing. I was touched.
Now was time to say good bye. We left Don Det, took a long tail back to where we came. From there we got to take a mini bus to the Thai Lao international bus station back to Thailand. The bus ride was quite an experience. There were 2 mini buses first dropped by the bus station then would take the others back to Pakse. Our mini bus broke down on the way. Me and Ben had no Lao money left (thought we would reach thailand in couple hours, we spent that all), no water, no food. It was very very hot on the road, we had no where to hide. The other mini bus dropped off the passengers to a very small grocery store nearby and headed back to pick us up to the same store while waiting for our bus to be fixed. It was very common that vehicles broke down here in Lao. It happened to me several times in this trip. It could take 15 mins to an hour. I should be more prepared.
We had to buy 2 cans of soda using our USD. As the locals don't know how what was the currency conversion rate, each costed us USD 1 dollar a can, which equivalent to a meal in most places in Lao. Doesn't matter. At least something cold and moist. That was what matters. We left the unfinished drinks on the road next to the minibus while we went checking out the fixing situation. Less than 5 mins, our drinks were gone. Then we saw the mother who sold us the sodas and her little boy were drinking our drinks!! bummer! They looked so cheerful enjoying our drinks looking at us yet a bit cheeky. I wanted to laugh but also was thinking "oh my Goodness! Are you joking me?"
The bus was finally fixed but it couldn't go too far. Therefore, the drivers suggested passengers going to Pakse would go into the fixed bus directly to Pakse and people going to the station including ourselves would go into the other bus directly to the station as the last Thai-Lao bus would leave soon. Here came the drama. Those travelers originally sitting in the "good" minibus were reluctant to swop. They gave the drivers so much shit and they just sat in the bus reluctant to move. The "broken" bus was fixed but just that it couldn't go too far worry that it might overheat.
After a long while of struggling, some passengers were willing to move to the other bus. Most of us squeezed into the "good" bus, but there was still one passenger couldn't fit in because the bus was fully overloaded. It would take those passengers another 30 mins to go Pakse in this bus because it had to drop us first to the bus station. The guy stood by the door was almost begging if anyone going to Pakse would offer to swop. Yet, no one moved and they kept telling the driver to drive. It was such a nightmare and what a scene to see these people so selfishly didn't give a concern to anybody else but themselves. There was a 50-year-old American traveler, who was going to Pakse, sitting next to the driver said "that is not my business. I don't give a shit". I couldn't be more disgusted by these people. At last, I offered to sit on the minibus floor between the driver seat and the passenger seat right on the hand brake in order to let the last passenger to get on this bus. Finally we could leave. It was alomst 45 mins of struggling and looking at these people. We are all civilized people. Where is the caring? Where is the generosity? That made me sick.
We managed to take the last Thai-Lao bus of today and reached Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. We had to take a tuc tuc to the train station to go Bangkok. Before the overnight train, we had that bbq chicken nearby the train station. It was so good! All frustration went away.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Day 29 - The last night in Lao
Day 29 night - We had the biggest crowd of people having dinner in a traditional Lao restaurant nearby our guesthouse. We had people we met from cycling this afternoon, Kristina and Ari, also some spanish travelers who just checked in our guest house today. A big square table with around 20 people from different countries having food and drinks was indeed good fun. Yet, I was pretty exhausted from a day of cycling and swimming. So, i was quite looking forward to have an early nice sleep after dinner considering i would probably be woken up by the baby girl again tomorrow morning.
Our guesthouse had a shared terrance. I was trying to sleep, unfortunately my friends wanted to hang out at the terrance for a little longer and it was a good thing but to me, was just too loud trying to rest in the room. i was feeling uneasy and grumpy. I was too tired to join the chat yet, i couldn't sleep with all those noises and in this super hot no breeze no fan no air-con room.
I stayed in my bed trying to write, to read, to talk to myself, everything i could to divert my frustration. It was almost 130am... God, why it is so hard to get some nice sleep in this place? local people wake up early wakes travelers up and travelers stay up late keeping the locals sleepless. Sounds just cultural difference but aren't we all here interrupting each other's life but vice versa we enjoy having each other around?
2am, finally the world calmed down and back to this beautiful quiet village of what it should be. now i was awake but my mind finally calmed down. A day of grumpiness was gone, i could feel peace again.
Me and Ben were hanging out at the terrance, lying down in the hammocks swinging slowly and softly, enjoying the quietness of this place. It was a full moon tonight. The moon was just right on top of the big tree opposite to our guesthouse across the river. There were no other sound apart from the river flowing and our whispering. My last day in Lao wasn't started too well, was bit emotional and unbearable sometimes but after all, it was complete, satisfactory and peaceful just like this country gave me for this 30 days.
Our guesthouse had a shared terrance. I was trying to sleep, unfortunately my friends wanted to hang out at the terrance for a little longer and it was a good thing but to me, was just too loud trying to rest in the room. i was feeling uneasy and grumpy. I was too tired to join the chat yet, i couldn't sleep with all those noises and in this super hot no breeze no fan no air-con room.
I stayed in my bed trying to write, to read, to talk to myself, everything i could to divert my frustration. It was almost 130am... God, why it is so hard to get some nice sleep in this place? local people wake up early wakes travelers up and travelers stay up late keeping the locals sleepless. Sounds just cultural difference but aren't we all here interrupting each other's life but vice versa we enjoy having each other around?
2am, finally the world calmed down and back to this beautiful quiet village of what it should be. now i was awake but my mind finally calmed down. A day of grumpiness was gone, i could feel peace again.
Me and Ben were hanging out at the terrance, lying down in the hammocks swinging slowly and softly, enjoying the quietness of this place. It was a full moon tonight. The moon was just right on top of the big tree opposite to our guesthouse across the river. There were no other sound apart from the river flowing and our whispering. My last day in Lao wasn't started too well, was bit emotional and unbearable sometimes but after all, it was complete, satisfactory and peaceful just like this country gave me for this 30 days.
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