departure from a not-so-crazy station in Kunming, but on a ridiculously packed sleeper-bus with with a half-half mix of local Chinese and tourists (4 Japanese, 2 American, 3 Chinese) all the way to Luang Praban (Laos). seems like the bus is used by poor tourists (like us!) and locals who seem to be exporting/importing goods between China and Laos. hence, any space available (aisles and beds included) filled with huge bags of different shapes and colors.
people get picked up and dropped off along the way, most likely extra cash for the driver, and they'd be people waiting at random stops to pick up or drop off packages. although probably all under the table, i think it's a nice, economical system.
stops at rest areas are always confusing. it takes a while to determine how much time we have to take care of our business, bathrooms are often hard to find (and dirty), and i always need a bit of courage to try and order the food served there. beer at these stops are always kept at room temperature (warm) and i don't like it...doesn't stop me from buying though.
at the Chinese-Laotian border, the bus drops us off and manages it's way through heavy traffic as we line up to show our passport to the Chinese immigration officers. once safely through, the bus picks us up to drive 500 meters and there, we fill paperwork to receive our visa and stamps on the Laotian side.
the difference in the two immigration facilities is quite ridiculous. the Chinese office is clean, air-conditioned, and automated, while the Laotian office, a small wooden shack with windows.
apparently China is like a bigger brother to Laos. logging in Laos is a huge problem and many of it's resources are being sucked up by China. after passing through Chinese immigration, i look back to see this:
seems to me like a "big brother" trying to tower over those entering from Laos, while on the other side of this monster, is just another dirty Chinese town.
after a few minutes of riding in Laos, the scenery changes 180 degrees. there are villages every 5 minutes with people living in raised wooden homes constructed on ledges.
although i don't know what the exact living conditions are here, i like and am fond of what i see.
toddlers in front of homes, picking on their dogs, naked kids playing in the river, young teens forming gangs, older teens walking together as couples, dads packing scooters to deliver products to the village next door, moms cooking while scolding their toddler for squeezing the poor dog's tail, and grandparents chilling in the shade, overlooking everything, satisfied that they've accomplished the important role of continuing their race.
smog is everywhere though, coming from the burning of land after deforestation. there's a constant stinging smell of smoke all throughout our trip in Laos. the roads are not kept well and some parts still unpaved. here, my pen becomes a drawing tool for a seismograph. calculating from intensity of the scribbles on my journal, i'd say this bus ride is an average 5.8M on the Richter scale.
people get picked up and dropped off along the way, most likely extra cash for the driver, and they'd be people waiting at random stops to pick up or drop off packages. although probably all under the table, i think it's a nice, economical system.
stops at rest areas are always confusing. it takes a while to determine how much time we have to take care of our business, bathrooms are often hard to find (and dirty), and i always need a bit of courage to try and order the food served there. beer at these stops are always kept at room temperature (warm) and i don't like it...doesn't stop me from buying though.
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| money exchange dude who has a son studying in Japan. exchanged Yuan -> Kip through my bus window. |
the difference in the two immigration facilities is quite ridiculous. the Chinese office is clean, air-conditioned, and automated, while the Laotian office, a small wooden shack with windows.
apparently China is like a bigger brother to Laos. logging in Laos is a huge problem and many of it's resources are being sucked up by China. after passing through Chinese immigration, i look back to see this:
after a few minutes of riding in Laos, the scenery changes 180 degrees. there are villages every 5 minutes with people living in raised wooden homes constructed on ledges.
although i don't know what the exact living conditions are here, i like and am fond of what i see.
toddlers in front of homes, picking on their dogs, naked kids playing in the river, young teens forming gangs, older teens walking together as couples, dads packing scooters to deliver products to the village next door, moms cooking while scolding their toddler for squeezing the poor dog's tail, and grandparents chilling in the shade, overlooking everything, satisfied that they've accomplished the important role of continuing their race.
smog is everywhere though, coming from the burning of land after deforestation. there's a constant stinging smell of smoke all throughout our trip in Laos. the roads are not kept well and some parts still unpaved. here, my pen becomes a drawing tool for a seismograph. calculating from intensity of the scribbles on my journal, i'd say this bus ride is an average 5.8M on the Richter scale.
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| bus stop prior to getting into Luang Praban. reminds me of Senegal. |
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| the most ghetto rest area during this trip - bushes. was cleaner and less smellier than the other bathrooms. |
haha! i am glad to see rest stops in laos are still in the middle of nowhere in the wide open. in 2005, i squatted with the other women and peed in a field enroute from laos to vietnam.
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