On the rail again

January 11 2023 – Vientiane Laos

Really nothing to report. Mostly waiting. The only train available was the 630pm to Vientiane I had hoped for an earlier train, but all the earlier ones were sold out, and I felt lucky to get the last train of the night.

Get up, make Starbucks, shower and stuff, breakfast, kill time until check out time. Kill more time until the taxi to the train station. I did get caught up on the blog and several Trip Advisor hotel reviews while killing time.

The taxi ride was much longer than I remembered when coming in. It was so far away I checked Google maps one time to make sure we were going in the right direction. I have to remember that U.S. towns and cities were most often built around the rail system unless they were a port city. So access to the train station is convenient to town. The Lao train system was finished in 2019 and is at least 10km if not 30 or 40km from the city that claims them.

You know the routine at the train station from before and soon I am boarding car #8. The last trip on the train I was told I had a first class seat, instead I find out now that I had the equivalent of an economy bulkhead seat. Three abreast with an aisle and three more. This trip it was actual first class. Two, aisle, two. The seats were plush, reclined and had pull out tray tables.

My luggage somehow has gained weight over the trip, as have I, and I needed to beg the assistance of the man sitting in front of me to get my large bag on the overhead rack. He actually seemed happy to help.

The train ride was smooth and quick. An hour and a half, that the bus schedule called for overnight 12 hours. We stopped at one city on the way and the man in front of me went up and helped two other women with their over-sized luggage. His wife laughed and said “He loves doing that”. He offered mine but it wasn’t my stop.

At my stop there was a husband an wife traveling together. He grabbed his luggage and actually stood and watched her as she struggled to reach hey bags and then man handle them down. Prick! The woman and husband with the toddler, sitting a bit up from me. He only had one arm, so I’ll give him a break on helping her with the overhead luggage, but she was short, had a handful of kid and wasn’t doing so well with t. I stepped across the aisle and stood on the seat and got her luggage down as some guy was forcing his way past, woman, baby, me and luggage. It looked him in the eye and said “Just wait a damn second!” Obviously this translated into several languages, because his eyes got big and he stopped until I got her bag out of the aisle, before shoving his way he rest of the way off the car. He thanked me, and off to further adventures.

The mini bus, tuk tuk stands were a madhouse. Some out pointed to an empty mini bus quoted me a exorbitant Lao price and very reasonable U.S. rate to my hotel. I didn’t feel like negotiating for two or thee dollars difference and hopped in. Off we went, with the help of my typing my hotel into Google Maps for the driver, in about 30 or 40 minutes we wee at my hotel. This is where I discovered that a 8gb cellular data plan does not last forever. I’ll live with WI-fi for now since tomorrow is the only day that I really might need it and he process to set up a new e Sim requires usage of my brain and it is currently on break.

Hotel check in was simple since they already had my info and passport on file, just a signature on the register and off to room 405.

Nice big room that smelled slightly of sewer. I went to the restaurant on the roof that my travel companion had raved about. I ordered a Vodka tonic, to find out they had 5 kinds of Vodka and zero kinds of tonic water. Of course I could have a cocktail, like a Tequila Sunset or Mai Ti, but a Vodka Tonic was out of the question.

I had an appetizer and a bowl of soup and called it quits for the night.

Today more waiting. Taking a plane to the Plain Of Jars and that requires a lot of waiting, but at least it isn’t with knees under chin of a bumpy bus ride. Plane due in 30 minutes so I’ll pause this for now.