Tour de Lao 2010

This is a long post, but I promise that it is well worth it!  ENJOY!

I am standing on a 15 seater bus, crammed with 38 people, their luggage, 8 boxes of ramen, a motor bike strapped to the roof, and a box of Choco-pies (Chocolate covered marshmellow cakes--remember the Chocopies, it becomes important later on!).  The road is a dirt road that is still being built as we are on it.  This bus is taking me and 37 other people to from the Lao-Vietnam border to Oudoxai, a large town close to the border.  This is the town where we transfer to get to Luang Prabang, the old capital of Lao.  Let me back up and say why I am on this bus to begin with.

I decided to cross over-land into Lao from Vietnam at the Dien Bien Phu (DBP) border, which is in northern Viet Nam.  There is another easier route, which has direct connections from Hanoi to Luang Prabang via Vientiene (Central Border); however, on the map, this route looked about 200km longer than the DBP route, not as scenic and is a grueling 30 hours.  I also figured that since it route was 200km shorter, it would take less time and be cheaper--I was wrong with both assumptions!

The journey started in Hanoi, where I boarded an extremely comfortable coach which took me on a 13 hour journey winding up and down mountains to DBP.  When I got to DBP at 8:00am, I went to the bus station to transfer onto the bus which would take me into Lao.
1st Road block: I was informed that the bus from DBP left for Lao at 5:30am.
My Solution: Hop on a motor-bike taxi for a 45 min ride to the Border. 
Once I got to the border, I went through Vietnamese immigration.  On the other side, the immigration officer asked me how I was going to get into Lao. 
-I was kind of baffled and asked in response, "Isn't Lao outside of these gates?"
-He laughed and said, "No, Lao is 6km from this gate" (2nd Road Block)
-Trying to control my bewilderment, I asked, "Is there a shuttle?"
-He responds, "The shuttle left at 5:45am"
With my one time entry Vietnamese visa stamped "USED" and an exit stamp already on my passport, I had no choice but to continue on.  [My Solution] So I picked up with 40L green backpack and started my 6km (3.5 mile) trek, litterally OVERLAND to Lao.  At roughly 1/2 way to the Lao Border, I found a sign that said I was leaving Vietnam and entering Lao--as I said goodbye to Vietnam, I also said goodbye to paved roads.  As the dust picked up on my trek to the Lao gate, the thought of this "do it yourself border crossing might of not been such a good idea" creeped into my head.  Finally, after about an hour of dust and heat, I round the corner and saw the "Welcome to Lao" sign and with it, the immigration building.  As I walked a bit closer, I saw PEOPLE...and not just any people, but WHITE PEOPLE!  I got so so so excited!  I started to run towards the immigration building...in my mind, I thought, "Yes!  These people probally are on a private tour with their bus, and I can try to beg my way on to their bus to get to Luang Prabang!  This isn't so bad after all!!!" WRONG!
-I ran up to the first white person, and asked, "are you going to Lao?" 
-He said, "Yes"
-I then asked, "how are you getting there?"
and he pointed to a bus that already looked over-packed with things.  Then a Vietnamese man, who I later found out was the driver, ran to me and asked if I needed a spot on the bus, to which I responded, "YES!" and he led me through immigration and onto the bus.  Getting on the bus, the 30 White people started yelling at him, "NO MORE PEOPLE!!!" Feeling very unwelcomed, I stood at the door, hung on for dear life as the bus started to roll down the mountain on the dirt road.  I later discovered that this is the same bus that left DBP at 5:30am!!!!  Apparently, the people on it also had to get out and trek to to the Lao immigration building from Vietnam because the "road" was so bad.

The journey from the Lao border to Oudoxai is roughly about 100km (60 miles); however, it took us 13 hours to complete, due to the fact that the road was still being constructed as we were on it.  There were many parts that I felt like we were going to roll off the road into the valley below us because the bus was so top heavy.  About 3 hours into the trip, the bus makes a stop in front of what is a Meth/Heroine Rehab center.  The driver tells me that the road ahead is still being constructed and they won't move the pile of dirt for another 4 hours, so we have to get out and wait.  I then translate this to the 30 White people, and by doing so, instantly put myself in the position of translator/tour-guide.  Getting off the bus, there were two places for us to "hang out"--1. Sit on the dirt in the sun next to the hot bus, OR, 2. Walk up the hill to the rehab huts and sit in the shade.  I walked to the rehab huts.  By this time, hunger is setting in and there is no food or water to buy in sight.  People start pulling out little snacks and sharing it with everyone, and as we ate the little food we had, those in rehab looked on...

About 2 hours later, the bus honks and we all run down from the Rehab center and pile on.  The driver tells me we need to go quickly because they just cleared the mountain of dirt in front of us, but will soon put another mountain of dirt in its place.  He presses the gas, and we are off.  Once we get onto the other side, we realize that there are only 36 people on the bus now, and 2 White people have gone missing [Problem 3].  Well, our choices were either to go back by foot and look for them, or drive on.  [Solution] We waited for 10 minutes in the hot sun, and then DRIVE ON (so there could possibly be two random white people wandering the villages of Lao at this very moment!).  The journey continues, pretty uneventful, other than the bumps, dust, and constant getting out and getting back onto the bus because piles of dirt have to be cleared on the road.  At about 8 hours into the journey, everyone starts getting really hungry.  One of the girl then started to comment on how there is a box of Choco-pies and wonders out-loud, that if we take and eat it, if anyone would really notice.  I then get pulled in and am asked to negotiate with the driver to buy the box of Choco-pies for everyone.  Before I start haggling, all of the White people and myself agree that we would be willing to pay as much as $3/pie (this is extremely expensive considering in Hanoi, the entire box wouldn't be more than $3...however, desparate times call for desparate measures!).  So I ask the driver, who then shouts to the Vietnamese person in charge of the supplies. 
-He asks, "What box of Choco-pies?"
-I responded, "the one that is right above your head,"
-He saids, "there are no Choco-pies"
(I am simulaneously trying to translate from Vietnamese to English the conversation, as well as trying to point to the Vietnamese man the box of Choco-pies).  So as I point to him the box of Choco-pies, the White people around me are also turning, pointing and shouting at the box of Choco-pies.  The Vietnamese man then says, "oh, that box....it IS NOT Choco-Pies, it is just the box."  Such disappointment!  Our stomachs continue to growl as we continue on.

Around the 13th hour, our bus stops at a big river.  The driver says to me, "Everyone out, the bridge is closed, this is where the journey ends!"  I am hesitant to translate for fear of the back-lash from the White people (sometimes, people really do kill the messenger!).  So I just get out and look around.  Finally, I quietly tell one person, who then shouts it to the rest.  We wait for awhile at the river, then a wooden canoe comes and says that it can ferry us over to the other side.  We all pile in and once on the other side, we neogotiate that we want to go to Oduoxai.  A pick-up truck then arrives and we again pile again, all 28 of us, onto the back and continue our journey for another 3 hours to sleep before hopping on a bus for another 6 hours to Luang Prabang the next day. 

So when it was all said and done, a journey that was suppose to take, in my mind 13 hours from Ha Noi to DBP, and another 6 hours to Luang Prabang (19 hour total), ended up being:
Ha Noi to Dien Bien Phu (DBP): 13 hours
DBP to Lao Border: 2 hours
Lao Border to River: 13 hours
River to Oduoxai: 3 Hours
Oduoxai to Luang Prabang: 6 hours
Total: 37 Hours to cover 700km or about 430 miles.

Looking back, although I wouldn't say that the trip was worth it, a lot of memories were made, I met some really cool people, it was a very rural part of Lao that we got to cross, and the story of the trip makes a good laugh.