Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Denise Milani Hhardcore
Adventure is an adventure! Sad
Never easy transport in Asia. Even when taking a check over to public transport, ie buses of tourists. Even those are a bit haywire, you rarely know when we start, let alone when it comes ... To leave Vang Vieng, a old bus that toured the hotel picked us up at our guesthouse, 15 minutes early. Ends speed packet bags, gets in the old bus, toured the other hotels to pick up other passengers. Then arrives at the bus station, hanging around there while other passengers arrive. Then, trying to understand which bus will take you to get to Luang Prabang. The boss beckons us to climb into a minibus, but there is not enough room for four of us (it is shown that we are a family with two children ...). Two other vans arrive, you go up faster in one of them, to get a place before (Because Marianne motion sickness, I always have a bag not far, but I prefer not having to use it ...). The boss beckons to land, there are not enough people to fill two other minibuses. It descends. Then he told us to go back: a passenger was added, the three minibuses will leave. Phew!
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It restarts. The road climbs switchbacks. Landscape magnificent valleys in all shades of green, red clay brick, caramel color and rivers, scattered here and there steep hills studded with rocky ridges. Stop a bit further, the Official Pit Stop: public toilets, small restaurant, convenience store and breathtaking views. The driver does not tell us how long you stop, but you're hungry. It was decided, with the other passengers, eating. When the driver sees us seated, he is not happy, but he does not speak English, we do not understand why.
When we hit the road, you soon understand why and the driver was upset: it stops half an hour later in a small town as ugly as everything, where there is a garage to fix our tire. It takes an hour, that's where we should eat, but you could not guess ... So we walk, even if there is not much to see. Some shops, vendors of fruit and vegetables along the road, tit-ass who inflate the tires of their bécyk. Girls are an attraction, as usual, but the Laotians are rather timid. 
Finally, we come back! But we are not all ... A few more hours to be shaking. We're in Luang Prabang in late afternoon. At the bus station, they are a few tuk-tuk drivers waiting for us to stand firm we charge the highest possible price. But, hehe!, We also look at a halt. We agreed with a French travel companion to share the ride to town. They want to charge us 50,000 kip ($ 7) for the trip, but we saw snow: we know that it's not worth more than 10 000 kips. After a bit stubborn, allowed to dry and it goes on the main road, where they hailed a tuk-tuk's driver was all smiles, too happy to embark for the price we offer. But with five passengers and luggage in his little craft, one wonders if the engine can take it.
We arrive in the city of pain and misery. It was a hotel in sight, we visit the room, but it is expensive, small, and windowless. No way! Luang Prabang is a challenge for budget travelers. We are slammed, but I'm going to hunt while Marco stayed with the girls. I return after a Time: I found a large room at $ 15! You settle in, then we eat on a beautiful terrace overlooking the Mekong. What a contrast to Vang Vieng: here is classy and distinguished, tourists wear linen shirts, drink wine and stay in old colonial homes. The city is quiet, pretty flowers. We have for days to discover its charms. 
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