We land back in Vientiane (January 18) a little late. After the nasty turn I was more than happy to be arriving late but alive!!
After getting a tuk tuk to Andrew's and Paula's I head off on Paula's bike to the bus station to find out about buses to Udon Thani tomorrow. I'm hoping to get on an 11.50am flight to Bangkok tomorrow, then bus and boat to Koh Samet. It's great to be biking again - although boy it's busier here than in Luang Prabang.
On returning back to A and P's I do washing, I cannot rave enough about how wonderful it is to have access to a washing machine! Won't happen for another 9 days when I get to Hong Kong.
Andrew and I head out at 5pm to meet Paula. It takes us awhile to get a tuk tuk, however get there in the end. After a drink we head to a Lao Coffee and Sinouk Coffee talk put on by the Women's International Group. We all definitely learn quite a lot about the coffee industry.
After the talk we are hungry and thirsty, dinner is calling.
Wednesday morning I'm up early, it's a travel day. After breakfast with Andrew and Paula I get a tuk tuk to the bus station.
Unfortunately the 8am bus I want to talk is full, not good news!! After speaking to an Australian guy the only option is for me to get on the local bus to the border. Will worry about getting to Udon Thani once I get there. If only I’d brought the 8am bus ticket yesterday when I came to check out the timetable.
Wholly smoke I'm SO out of place! Everyone is staring at me. I just hope and pray we get to the border by 8.45am, this means I have a chance of making my flight.
The journey is quick and painless; we have two stops along the way to pick-up and drop off passengers.
Exiting Laos is easy, I exchange my KIP for THB and nearly fall over at the exchange rate - it's half of what I'm expecting. They certainly have a monopoly given you cannot exchange once outside of Laos. The reason I hadn't exchanged earlier is I wasn't sure how much I'd be needing today.
I have a few minutes wait before catching the bus across the Friendship Bridge, then going through Thai immigration. Again nice and easy.
The fun starts now - I'm like food in lion’s den with people speaking to me at once. After turning down a taxi for THB 700 to the airport I take a tuk tuk for THB 50 to the bus station in Udon Thani, from there can get another tuk tuk.
You can imagine my surprise when I see the sign for Udon Thani pointing straight ahead and we turn left - wholly smoke we are going somewhere else. I'm far from pleased and when we arrive at the bus station the tuk tuk driver tells someone I want to go to Udon Thani. He is extremely helpful, I want to hug him, but the next bus isn't for another hour and that takes one hour to arrive - too late for me to catch my flight (which by the way I don't have a ticket for......). For the first time I burst into tears - I'm so angry and frustrated! The man and his friend are at a lost for what to do so they just stand there while the tears just keep on coming. A foreigner appears and asks what's wrong, she can speak Thai which is very helpful. The only option for me is to take a taxi at THB 1,000 - %*£~£<£\>%*}*#. She tells me to think of the money in USD, all I'm thinking about is inflecting pain (and lots of it) to the tuk tuk driver. Now all I pray for is I make the flight.
Boy it's going to be a very expensive day!
We cruising down the highway when all of a sudden we pull into a petrol station - can't get far with an empty tank but really shouldn't he have thought about that before driving to work today??
Thankfully we arrive at the airport just after 10.30am, I have 1 hour 20 minutes before my flight leaves. I'm informed by Thai airways that the price has increased by THB 1,000 and there is one seat due to someone cancelling - thank you so much!! I'm too shocked to worry about the price increasing. After exchanging money my seat is confirmed. Now need to relax until I get to Bangkok.
It definitely would have been cheaper and easier if I'd flown directly from Vientiane, or if I'd booked the 8am bus yesterday. Ooh well you live and learn and thankfully we aren't talking super huge amounts of money.
We boarded late but I wasn't fussed as it gave me more time to charge my iPhone. I wanted to have battery life for my bus ride later on.
On arrival into Bangkok we land in Switzerland so have to take a bus to the terminal. I got some info on the bus I need to take while waiting for my bag, there is one in 20 minutes (which I definitely won't make) then the next one is in 2.5 hours. There I was thinking I'll be having a beer on the beach at sunset - I think not!!! Nothing seems to be working out for me today, let's hope tomorrow is better!
To say the afternoon improved would be a big fat lie!! After taking the shuttle of the bus station nearest the airport I'm told the next bus isn't to 4pm (which I knew) so it's best to take another shuttle bus to the eastern bus station. I did as I was told but after half an hour I started to wonder when to pull the plug on today. What a mere.
Finally arrive at the bus station and I'm met with friendly helpers. There is a bus that leaves in 20 minutes, at 3.30pm, which is great. I call the hotel to arrange a boat pick me up and am told it's not possible since I haven't given a deposit. Well that stuffs my plans. I didn't want to be working out how to take the boat at 7pm so finally pulled the plug and took the sky train to a hotel I'd stayed at before. The only room they had was smoking so I said no....am know starting to realise I shouldn't have got out of bed today!!! They're helpful though and call one of their sister properties and before too long I'm off in search of it. Thankfully there is space - phew! What a day.
I'm hungry and thirsty but need to search for somewhere to go tomorrow, never an easy task!
Thursday (20 January) I’m up early, feeling a little odd that I have NO idea where I'm staying this evening. After checking my emails I decide to stick with my original hotel and all going well will be on the 10am bus.
I'm under very strict instructions by the hotel to arrive by 2pm or else my reservation is cancelled. I know I won't be but aren't too bothered. Time will tell what happens.
After coffee I head to the bus station via BTS sky-train, much quicker and of course cheaper than taking a taxi as it's rush hour travel.
I arrive in plenty of time and thankfully the 10am bus still has space, much better start to the day than yesterday. I met an American couple and already feel at ease about the day ahead - things seem so much easier when there is someone else to discuss the options with. Now if only we would leave, we are already late.
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