I know this entry is meant to mark the first stop in Laos but quite a lot happened before we even crossed the border!
OK, we left our nightmare in Banlung early at 6.30am with renewed optimism, so as we climbed onto the back of our scooter taxi's with no helmets I was staying positive for the day ahead. We reached the bus station alive and in one piece and got on the bus and relaxed on our way to Stung Treng where we would have to wait a couple of hours for the next bus connection to Pakse in Laos. As we went to a cafe to pass the time we where relaxed and enjoying the sunshine of this little Mekong town but as we went to leave it all started to go wrong!
The cafe owners asked us where we where going and we said to catch the next bus but they told us the next bus wasn't for another 2 and a half hours. A little confused we returned to the bus station to ask the bus company what was going on, but they still said it would be here at the time they quoted.
The next thing a bus pulled up and we where told to get on - but after a few minutes we realised we where heading back towards Kratie (the opposite direction!) so we asked one of the staff and he said we will meet the bus to Laos along the road and then switch buses - this would apparently save time!
2 hours later we jumped onto another bus and headed back the way we had came towards Laos!
After this we passed the border with relative ease and headed onwards into Laos. Still with our renewed optimism we where thinking the best for this new country and we where rewarded when we arrived at our home stay for the night (Although I must add that the tuk tuk driver used a torch in his hand as his head light!) A lady greeted us at a locked doorway and lead is into one of the most quirky places we have ever stayed - our room was upstairs with a mattresses on the floor and a little table and chairs in the corner but the whole place was spotless. The bathroom was downstairs in the attached restaurant kitchen - they too where spotless but I did feel weird brushing my teeth near someone chopping carrots!
The lady then brought us an amazing rice and noodle dinner to our room and also made us fresh noodle soup for our breakfast (Leanne was delighted!) The only reason we left here was because it is a little out of town and it was low season so there wasn't much to do there.
We then moved to the Royal Pakse Hotel in the centre of town (don't let the name fool you) which was also fine for our needs and we spent the day drinking organic coffee's from Laos and trying the local food before having a few drinks on the roof top bar of the Pakse Hotel. Leanne then had a massage from the same people who arranged the onward buses (strange I know) so we would get 10% discount so all was well at the start of our Laos adventure.
Next stop the sleepy capital Viantiene.
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