The Tedious Tale of a Thirty Hour Bus Ride

---

I had heard about it but I didn't want to think about it. I read blog after blog about the horrors but didn't want to believe them. But then I had no choice. I was traveling on a budget and a $50 bus ride was a hell of a lot cheaper than $200 plane.



My last day I booked it, my thirty hour bus trip that would start at 5pm and arrive whenever it felt like doing so. I spent the day chilling with Kevin, mentally preparing myself for such a journey. I wasn't to sure what to expect. I had heard horror stories about all the busing in Vietnam and thus far I felt they were untrue. Perhaps this journey wouldn't be nearly as bad as I had heard?



In fact I was quite positive about it. I'm not saying I really wanted to spend thirty hours on a bus, but in my mind that was thirty hours of sleeping and reading and iPading it up. All of this while hopefully sitting next to some lovely backpacker who I could swap stories with.



5pm is technically when everything started, sort of. I was told to be at my hostel then and so I was. And then I waited, so much time is spent waiting. I was nervous simply because I wasn't sure exactly what was going on and where the bus was but other than that I was chatting it up with some lovely folks so it wasn't half bad.



5:45 pm a fellow pops his head in the door of my hostel and yells "Laos" and I stand up knowing it means me. I fetch my bag and hop on his moped, not without nearly falling over from the weight of my bag while mounting a bike.



5:50 pm is met with more waiting as myself and three others wait for a mini van to pick us up to take us to the bus station. It arrives and we are packed in like sardines but once more by the luck of the draw I'm next to three lovely Filipinos who tell me where to go when I head there next week.



6:30 pm with tickets bought I meander past nice bus after nice bus until I reach the end. It doesn't look too bad except for one thing, THERE IS NO BATHROOM! Seriously, thirty hours with no bathroom? Oh this is going to be interesting.



6:31 pm I rush to the bathroom one last time where I am surprised to find it to be a communal squat toilet. Yay.



Nearly 7 pm we have mounted out bus and the less than friendly Vietnamese staff yell at us all. The bus is half empty but they want all of us shoulder to shoulder. The younger guys, all 6 foot and taller refuse to move... For now. It's a sleeper but you literally sleep shoulder to shoulder with your seat mate and mine is quite large and creeps me out a bit.



7:03 pm I chat it up with a lovely Canadian



8pm stop for dinner, not included, thus not eaten.



9pm get yelled at for chatting it up so we choose to be quiet and I start to read, eventually pass out.



11pm yelling occurs between the Vietnamese and the guys as more people board and the Vietnamese want all the falangs together. They, however, would prefer a small Vietnamese next to them than two 6ft guys side by side.



6am it's been 12 hours and now I'm awake and ready for my run. Not happening today. Sad.



8am bathroom break thank god! On the side of the street, really there is no place with a bathroom we could have stopped?



8:30am. Start chatting it up with my seat mate. She seems a bit off and I get a bad vide. Why are we talking about religion and politics and you bashing america when you know I'm American before I've even had coffee that I'm never going to get today. Put earbuds in that don't eve work to prevent conversation continuing. It doesn't work.



Up until now the bus ride was fine.



10am. Way to much talking about absurd things. Go to sleep!



11am. Boarder! Crossing was easy peasy. First one to cross because I'm awesome! Continue on.



2pm. Everyone is starving, side of the road bathroom break.



3:20pm we purchase one of the most expensive meals I've purchased but worth it because we are so hungry. Canadian and I get a muffin and start a trend where we nearly miss the bus.



4:30 pm. More listening to head buds that don't work. Fall asleep because there is nothing else to do



12 midnight. We have finally arrived! Almost right on the dot of a 30 hour bus ride. Now on my next journey to find a place to sleep without the woman sitting next to me!

---

Photos

Hello Laos
Hour to delirious to remember

Comments

[Sharon Lubeck]

Crazy Bus Ride!
Only you could somehow make this bus ride funny! So was it worth saving $150.? I think so!

[Steml02]

30 hours piece of cake
Wish I did have some cake, but otherwise it was totally worth it. Plus I love a good story and a one hour plane ride would never give me a story like that!