Plain of Jars

Trip Start May 08, 2008
1
18
25
Trip End Ongoing


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Where I stayed
White Orchid
(Phonsavan hotels)

Flag of Lao Peoples Dem Rep  ,
Thursday, July 10, 2008

Well that was a fun bus ride! Actually it was fine really considering that we spent nine hours on plastic more suited to 8 year olds than to grown Asians, never mind full sized westerners, with the equivalent knee space. I suppose that made it okay for us was that the natives are incredibly bad travellers and the bus had to stop for about 10 minutes every hour and a half so they could have a breather, which also allowed us stretch our legs. To misquote the locals "good for me, not so good for you". Excellent. The ipod movies came in handy again here, making time pass just a little quicker.

Another help in making the journey pass a little quicker was hte fact that the scenery was incredible as we climbed the narrow mountain roads. The rather elderly bus made heavy going of the ascents but the driver made up for this (in classic poor country style. different countries, different cultures, same driving styles!!!) on the flatter sections by pegging it. I think these were the times when the locals suffered most. We were surprised how badly they travelled but thinking about it, lots of them cant afford to travel much, and even five years ago the roads were even worse than this so they would have travelled even less. Some of the poor girls, who somehow seemed more affected than the lads, were vomiting pretty much all the way.

Anyway thankfully we didn't suffer too much other than from the cramped conditions, but overall it went as well as any 9 hour journey on a 45 seater bus with 70 passengers can. The top was as crowded with luggage, all of it securely under canvas against the inclement weather. I was a little surprised to note on arrival that some of the bulk on top was made up of motorbikes! Don't know how they put them up there but they did it somehow. As we approached Phonsavan (its pronounced like Pon...) we got talking to the other white people (all four of them), two Kiwis, Charlie and Jess and two Dutch, Sam and Djura.
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