Travelling from 4,000 Islands, Laos to Bangkok, Thailand

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While walking to Don Det Bungalow to wait for our bus, we passed Mr. Loy at his tour booth. I asked for the money he promised us the night before and he replied with excuses. We got angry and told him to do something and so he started walking down the path and we followed because it was the same direction we needed to go. Then he picked up a bike and literally biked away from us...forever. What a loser.

We actually took a boat with the same guy that took us on the tour -- a local -- to the other side of the river and he showed us to a restaurant where we waited for our first form of transportation. By 12:!5 we were on our way and only two people were sitting in plastic chairs in the aisles. 15:00 we were at the 2nd terminal in Pakse, the one that takes people to Vientiane and Bangkok and a number of other places. Here we had to go up to the ticket window and show our tickets from Don Det for the woman to give us our tickets to Ubon and Bangkok.

We left the border at 17:00 and it was a breeze. First you get your stamps to leave and then you walk over the border. This part was actually sort of confusing, but you are eventually herded into a line barricaded like at an amusement park for the long lines that takes you across the border and then you fill out your entry form, pay nothing, and walk right on through. They had x-ray machines for bags, but I just kept walking and nobody seemed to care about using them.

18:30 we arrived in Ubon and Ronald and I hurried on over to the Big C super mart thing to buy some food and a SIM card for him so he can use the internet. Our bus left at 19:30, so it was a tight squeeze, but we made it and sat in the very front. We weren't sure if this was a good idea, but it turned out to be nice I think. I can imagine in Vietnam or somewhere else it being terrible though -- if the driver honks, it's right in your ear, if the driver doesn't slow down, you notice, and if there are any lights on the street, you are blinded by them.

Technical details

*10,000 kip fee per person for the transaction fee of stamping your passport as you leave Laos

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