Laos in transit

Day 9: 30 Dicembre Sabato
No matter where you're, the journey back always seems more painful. It takes out the excitement and anticipation, dragging you by the hair away from a blissful holiday back to the humdrum of daily reality. We endured 4 hours in a cramped mini bus along with over 20 equally sour-faced travellers, some of them burly caucasians sitting thigh-to-thigh, probably expecting the same VIP coach as us. The scenery was brilliant though and we even spotted villagers donning their colourful tribal headgears and costumes.

Upon reaching Vientiane's bus station, we were hoping to catch the 2pm Thai coach to Udon Thani but it was already full despite our early arrival at 1.35pm. Darn, I felt like the losing team on Amazing Race. We had to kill 2 hours waiting for the 4pm coach and I wasn't about to sit there and stare into nothing. I went in search of food, packing small green mandarin oranges and delizioso grilled bananas and sweet potatoes which A refused to eat (should have bought the worms for him!)

The station was a mixed bag of interesting characters - roving vendors pushing food, drinks and useless knicknacks, travellers from all walks, monks in bright saffron robes and locals with traditional headgears. The stern-looking bus-station conductor blew his whistle at the footloose young Brazilians who were kicking a football around, so there went our entertainment. The beaten buses heading to smaller villages were heaped skyhigh with colourful mattresses, gifts and goods for the coming new year.

At 4pm, our coach finally came and left filled. Adios Laos! Everyone sat in weary silence all the way across the Thai-Laos Frendship bridge and endured the excruciating long waits at the customs on both ends. We still had to pay an "overtime" exit fee, perhaps for making them work extra hours! Two hours later, our coach rolled into the heart of Udon Thani and we fought our way out of the hungry pack of tuk tuk/ taxi drivers and made it on foot to our business-class Charoensri Grand Royal hotel ($60/night) 3 mins away. Ah finally luxury living after 9 whole hours of travelling.

It was the best hotel in UT, next to a mall and oddly-named club called 'New York, New York'. Dying from starvation, we hunted down a busy street stall for a sinful greasy plate of seafood omelette on a bed of beansprouts, then dashed across the road and wolfed down a plate of braised pork knuckle with rice and a bowl of pork noodle soup. Thailand is street food heaven!

I couldn't tell if UT would be worth a return visit (there'll be a direct flight on budget starting Jan 2007) but there wasn't much happening within 5 mins' walking distance from what I could see. There were some non-descript internet cafes, bars and shops servicing the hotel guests and local farangs. In fact, there were loads of older white men with pretty young lasses which seemed like a rather common convenient arrangement everywhere in Asia. Nothing wrong with a fair deal struck between 2 willing parties. Maybe when I'm still single at 40, I'd just get myself a young italian stallion! Ha.

A wanted to check out the club but I was exhausted and preferred watching telly in my snug queen-sized bed and reflecting on the journey. Cambodia, Laos and Thailand are just hours apart but you could see the apparent differences in culture and society marked by modernity. Progression has its virtue and evils, particularly the latter - greed, waste, excessiveness - if balance is not in place. As countries pursue economic success, they must not forget the soul, traditions and culture. If you look at the big picture, we're not here to be richer. We're here to be happier.