Day 40, Summer in Asia, Laos to Thailand
On our last day in Laos we had an extensive conversation with the Chinese owner of our hotel. He’d spent 7 years in Utah, so his English was great. We talked about a broad range of topics, very interesting person. We learned a lot about certain Chinese and Laotian customs. He was saying how our traveling family reminded him of the movie, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with John Candy and Steve Martin. Little did I know then how the spirit of that movie would fit our day.
We packed up to go back into Thailand to pick up Madi from her internship in Phitsanulok. Sometimes lack of language isn’t a problem, other times, it makes travel unpredictable. You are at the mercy of the people in charge of transportation services. Some are kind and helpful, some are indifferent and just doing their job, and some are unhelpful.
We ended up taking 7 buses, tuks, and taxis to get to Phitsanulok, running into many helpful and unhelpful people.
1. Hired a private car to take us to the Buddha Park which was close to the Friendship Bridge leading to the Thai border. He dropped us off on the Laos side, we had to get our passports stamped that we had exited the country. Driver: just doing his job, indifferent. But what a fantastic park full of impressive sculptures.
2. We took a shuttle to the other side of the bridge to the Thai side. We went through immigration. Man held us back from getting on a too-full shuttle so we wouldn’t have to stand: helpful.
3. We took a tuk to the bus station in Nong Khai. There was a big gang of tuk drivers trying to gouge us for a fare, when the proper fare is actually detailed on a huge billboard and in each of the taxis. One guy took us for 40 percent over the flat rate and didn’t give in to the pressure from all the other drivers: helpful. From Nong Khai, we planned to board a luxe Greenbus VIP coach with only 24 seats. We had been assured that every single day one of these leaves Nong Khai at 5pm. Not today. They said there was no bus today, and told us to go to Udon Thani an hour south. The Bus there is at 6 pm. It’s now 2:30 pm. Helpful.
4. Take a cramped mini van to UdonThani, one hour felt like 2. The van drops us at a Mall in the center. No buses in sight. Driver says get out, clearly the end of the line, wouldn’t tell us where the station was: super unhelpful. We see an English speaking person who tells us where the bus station is and walks with us the four blocks: super helpful.
5. At the bus station, we go to information and the man says go to window 4. We do so but it’s closed. We turn back and the information man had snuck out: unhelpful. A gruff woman says we are at the wrong station: grumpy but helpful. Here, there are separate bus stations depending on the city you’re traveling to. The station we needed was six kilometers away. We find a taxi to take us and jump in. It was probably only a thirty minute drive, but feels much longer. By now it’s 4:15 pm.
At Bus Station 2, the VIP Greenbus lady says, “no bus Phitsanulok, bus full.” That could have made for a complicated evening ahead; finding a hotel for the night, missing our 8am train to Bangkok the next morning, checking in a day late to our Airbnb booking, finding Madi a place to stay in Phitsanulok for an extra night.
“Is there another bus to Phitsanulok? Today?”
She points across the street to a small office: helpful.
We run over and get 4 of the last seats on the 5 pm bus. Woman there: helpful. Whew!
6. Board a really comfy bus, big, pro driver, get food, and settle in for 7 hours to Phitsanulok. The buses are one of the main forms of transportation here, so there are more options. This bus gave you a neck pillow, blanket, water, dinner box with sandwich and dessert, juice boxes. Many people when they sleep will cover their faces for privacy, with a shirt, a cloth, anything on hand.
We were in Phitsanulok at 11:09, ahead of schedule. There are two stations in Phitsanulok, we were hoping for the one by our hotel, but it turns out this bus doesn’t stop at that one. The bus attendant guy says we need to get out at this one: extremely helpful, so we didn’t end up who knows where without our bags which were already out on the street.
Kier doesn’t like for anything to go to waste and was disappointed we didn’t get all of our untouched dinner boxes off the bus to give to someone who may have been hungry. But in the frantic rush to get off the bus she did rescue her juice boxes, and offered them to the monk who was waiting in the bus station. He kept motioning for her to put it in his bag, which was confusing. She didn’t want to touch his monk stuff, because she knew they aren’t supposed to be in contact with women. So there was some confusing hand gesturing and then he just bowed thank you and seemed grateful. It was a cute interaction.
7. We get into the exact same taxi that took us to the bus station 5 days ago. How could one forget the name on the driver ID when the name is… Supaporn. He doesn’t multiply the normal fare by 5 or 10, and knows where the hotel is: helpful.
The hotel we were happy to leave behind only five days before, was a welcome sight. The Dexter bathrooms (like concrete kill rooms Madi said), and outlets that amplify the sounds of the neighboring room, all seemed peripheral. Perspective can make just about any place a welcome relief.