Cambodia: Sen Monorom

Slowly drawn from a dream into reality where someone was lightly knocking on the door, I realized we had slept through our alarm and our bus departing Kratie was due to leave a half hour ago. Luckily, we had packed the night before and were able to run downstairs (without brushing our teeth, sorry) and hop into the minibus in record time. Feeling guilty on several levels - for holding up the group and for having terrible breath in such cramped quarters - I remained in a daze for the beginning of the ride listening to the surrounding exchanges of travelers' tales. Happily, no one seemed to hold it against us for being late and people were quite friendly with each other for the 4.5 hour journey.

Sen Monorom city center seen from our hotel.

Cambodia: Kratie

By this point, I am fairly accustomed to the border crossings over here - the bus assistants who want to take your passport and earn some money by handing it to the border guards instead of you, the "stamping fees" pocketed by the officials, the overall sense of confusion because you don't speak the language of either country that you're going between and my favorite: the temperature check. Fortunately, the worst that usually happens is getting tricked out of a few US dollars, but still I tend to get anxious on the day of a crossing, never sure what obstacles/touts will await us.

The mighty Mekong - central vein of the region.

Laos: Pakse

The 12-hour ride from Vientiane to the southern end of the country took place on the nicest sleeping bus I have ever had the pleasure of riding. We arrived at the bus station and my jaw dropped a little when we saw the plush interior that resembled miniature cruise ship rooms rather than the fish stick beds I have grown accustomed to on these vehicles. Though the double beds posed a potentially awkward situation for anyone traveling solo (you really get to know your neighbor on the trip as you spoon through the night), it was perfect for Sam and me - I could even stretch my legs out all the way! After watching the $1 DVDs we had purchased in Vientiane (We Were Soldiers, Beasts of the Southern Wild and We're the Millers in case you were wondering), we slept for a couple hours before arriving in Pakse around 6am.

Pakse city.

Laos: Vientiane

Last time we were in Laos, we stayed in Vientiane long enough to change buses, so I looked forward to seeing a bit more of the nation's capital this time around. Turns out there really isn't too much to see besides the standard temples, government buildings and the odd museum with a few cultural relics. It's a laid back town along the Mekong with a view of Thailand on the other side.

Soccer on the Mekong - Thailand in the background.

Laos: Vang Vieng

On our last go around in Laos, we spent about 3 weeks working with a group called SAELAO near Vang Vieng. Spending an extended period of time here and getting to know the kids in Nathong Village (7km outside Vang Vieng) was one of my favorite experiences and I was thrilled to be going back. Vang Vieng has recently become a destination for backpackers on the “banana pancake trail” (the typical route through SE Asia for young travelers). It is best known for tubing, where you use an inner tube as your mode of transportation down the river from bar to bar. Of course heavy drinking mixed with playing in the river has led to many injuries and even casualties, so most of the bars have been shut down since Sam and I did it two years ago.

Vang Vieng town with karst mountains in the background.

Laos: Xayaboury

We found a flyer for the Elephant Conservation Center while in Luang Prabang and contacted them to see if we could talk about working together for the project Sam and I are launching. The coordinator, Emilie, was very receptive to meeting with us and we made plans to visit the site to learn more about what they do. We took another local bus a few hours southwest of Luang Prabang and landed at the bus station in Xayaboury. A tuk-tuk with the ECC logo picked us up and we drove through the town to a recently dammed river where a boat was waiting for us. We drove along the still lake and around a bend to see the bungalows of the ECC.

What used to be a river is now a lake.

Laos: Luang Prabang

From Oudom Xay, we took a local bus to the royal capital of Lao, Luang Prabang. It was, I think, the most beautiful ride I’ve ever taken. Winding along the narrow roads on the mountain edge, we passed through countless villages with children playing, women cooking, pigs running their noses on the ground. All this with a backdrop of a blue sky, puffy white clouds, luscious green mountains and valleys, and snaking rivers speckled with fishermen in their long boats.

In this region, it is common for people
to carry bags with the strap on their heads.

Laos: Muang Khoa + Oudom Xay

We strategically chose to sleep near the bus station in Dien Bien Phu because we knew the bus leaving for Laos departed at 5am. We woke up at the last possible moment and went to claim our seats. There were a few other travelers as well as locals that brought lots of cargo along with them. On our way out of town we stopped every few minutes to pick up packages and more people. These daily trips seem to take the place of DHL in these parts. From my point of view, the drivers and assistants do a fantastic job remembering what packages get dropped off in which location.

Typical minibus - goods on top, people within.

Vietnam: Dien Bien Phu

Rather than commit to 30 hours on a bus from Hanoi straight through to Luang Prabang, Laos, we decided to break up the journey. Dien Bien Phu sits near the border with Laos and considering the history of the place we thought it would be an interesting stopover. Procuring a ticket from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu required a bit more effort than other routes because DBP is not firmly on the tourist track. We ventured through the dense and chaotic traffic to one of Hanoi’s many bus stations (they all serve different destinations) and spoke with the designated English-speaking employee who sold us our tickets for the 12-hour overnight journey.

My Dinh bus station, Hanoi.