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Published: March 21st 2013
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Ausing staying an extra day in Hoi An and another extra day in Luang Prabanit and a deadline to get back to Bangkok on the 21st I had little time in Vientiane. And when I say little I mean LITTLE. How little you ask? Just 8 hours.
The town seems small and adorable and had no doubt that I could accomplish what I had wanted to see while there. Okay, to be fair I didn't really no exactly what I wanted to see but I'm sure my Lonely Planet Guide would have steered me in the proper direction.
However after what may have been the worse bus ride of my life I chose a different route for killing time in Vientiane. Now I told you about my 30 hour bus ride and howwith the the exception of the crazy lady, really wasn't all that bad. So when I heard stories about the trip from Luang Orabang to Vientiane I thought they were just exaggerations like thosoff had heard before. Turns out that isn't really the case.
I was picked up at 18:30 from SpicyLao hostel and taken to the bus station. Here I waited another hour. After living in Thailand I have very little problems with waiting arounstand with highlights of futbol on the television I sure wasn't complaining.
But then we boarded and oh what a tiny bus this one was. At least it had a bathroom! The fellow I was sitting next to was an awesome German who was telling me all about his travels. As cool as it was to have someone to talk to, Germans aren't really Laos size causing him to take 3/4 of the space and me a measly 1/4. Good thing I got skinny in Thailand!
With lights out we all tried to sleep but the curvy windy road through the mountains is not all that conducive to that little thing called sleep. Just 10 hours, I told myself. I had gotten pretty good at sleeping on buses but this one was fighting me every step despite how exhausted I was. The bus did a smidge of off roading at one point and after that it was a bit harder to even attempt sleep.
Half way through we stopped for a dinner of noodle soup and a bathroom break. You could see everyone stretching out their sore antiered limbs. We hopped back on for the last six hours and perhaps I caught a few zzzzs but with my neck twisted excorsist style it's hard to say if they counted at all.
Oh what sweet relief it was to get off that bus. I hopped on a tuk tuk into the centre of town and contemplatwhat's to what I should do. It was 6am, everything was closed so I decided to head over to where I would catch the bus back to Thailand to purchase my ticket. Turns out it was a short little stroll through the sleeping town. Once there I jotted down the times and headed back into town only my mission wasn't sights it was food with some WIFI.
Scandinavian Bakery is where I found myself and a breakfast extravaganza ladies out in front of me. Yes, despite splurging yesterday I felt the need to do it again today after that dreadful bus ride. And it was delightful. For 27,000 kep I got two scrambled eggs, apple juice, two cups of coffee, a croissant and a roll which in Erin's world is heaven!
I know I should have explored, but instead I hung out in the bakery until 11. Cut me some slack folks I was falling asleep at the table. Finally I pried myself away and walked back to the bus station, stopping at the presidents house and bought my ticket for 14:30. And with 2 1/2 hours to kill, what did I do? Headed to a different bakery where I got muesli, yogurt and fruit something I had been craving for days now.
So my time in Vientiane wasn't the most exciting but can I just say that it was hands down the most relaxing and was exactly what a girl needs after no sleep!
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Sharon Lubeck
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Smidge of off roading??? I could only imagine!