Brekkie at the guesthouse, an essential before a long travel day. Little did we know...
The Travelfish site listed a bus leaving Sangkhom at 10:30 AM. Our host said 10:00 AM. Rightio, we were up and packed, ready to go in plenty of time. We bid Mr. Froggy adieu and walked the short distance to the main road. Easey-Peasey, we knew where the bus stop was and all was good. The shopkeeper at the bus stop asked us "Where you go?" This is one of the first things Thai folks learn if they learn any english. When we said "Loei" (pronounced "Looooy" and the same town as Muangloei) she nodded and smiled. A good sign, or so we thought.
Ten AM came and went as did 10:30 AM. By eleven, we were looking up the road and pondering our options. We asked a few folks about the bus and, after some consultation, we received the standard Thai answer of "Maybe one hour." The Thai One-Hour is a varying unit of time that can last from about two hours to four hours. It is a very flexible unit of measure. We were starting to get a little concerned, but we hoped for the best. After all, there was no other way out of town.
By noon it became apparent that we were in for the long wait. Another Thai gent offered up One PM as a likely arrival time for the Loei bus. After waiting two and a half hours, we had developed a bit of a hunger. Shouldering our packs, we walked up the street to the next bus stop area which featured a noodle stand.
Amusing ourselves by watching the local kittens.
Chicken and Rice, a good Thai standby. And still the bus does not cometh.
By 1:30 in the PM, we knew that our best hope was the Little Green Bus, the same bus that had brought us to Sangkhom from Nong Khai. That bus had dropped us in town at 2:30. Oh, my aching butt. The torpid state of waiting enveloped us as the heat washed the street. Teetering on our little plastic chairs, we waited it out. And this point it was anyone's guess when the bus would show up and to miss it would mean another night in Sangkohm. Not the worst fate in the world, but we had already invested almost four hours in waiting. Determined we were. Yes, like Yoda.
And suddenly, 1:35 in the PM, there was the Litttle Green Bus. By the way, it doesn't really go to Loei.
A mere four hour wait and then we were aboard the LGB, complete with the same driver and same bus matron. When she asked us where we were going, we said "Loei" and she countered with "Pak Chom." We offered up a second "Loei" to which she smiled, shook her head, and replied "Pak Chom." And so it would be.
We settled into the same seats, my knees pressed tight and the familiar river of sweat already starting down my back from the nape of my neck to, well, you know where it ends up. Offsetting the discomfort was the incredible scenery of the road and river. Upriver from Sangkhom, the Mekong was sporting rock outcroppings and grassy islands. As we continued west along the river, there were huge eddy pools and actual whitewater rapids. There is a reason that the long tourist slow-boats do not go further down the river than Luang Prabang. The section of the Mekong between Luang Prabang and Vientiene is one of the least navigable, filled with dangerous rocks, shoals, sandbars and the like.
The Mekong River opens up again at Pak Chom.
Mercifully, the ride to Pak Chom was less than two hours. From here we would be leaving the Mekong and heading up into the highlands that climb from the river. With the Jumbo not leaving until 16:00 hours, it was time to eat again. Who knows when the next meal will come.
A pretty typical rural bus station kitchen area.
And a lovely bowl of seafood noodles.
The river downstream from Pak Chom. From here it becomes a series of channels and islands amongst the rocks and sandbars.
It was time to say goodbye to the Mighty Mekong. I am always sad to leave it behind.
Our last view of Pak Chom, a huge banyan tree and monks shopping for amulets from a vendor table.
Onto the Jumbo, Baby!! The big Songtheuw (Songkeuw, Songkew, all the same thing).
The Little Green Bus just didn't have the poop to climb the mountain roads. This is leg two of the Bus 34 route. We turned away from the Mekong and began the climb to Mungloei, the coldest place in the Thai kingdom. This time of year it is a few degrees cooler than the Mekong valley, but still plenty hot. in December and January, however, it can reach zero Celsius. The Thai folks come here to see frost and freeze their butts off, a true novelty in the Kingdom.
The Jumbo rocked and swayed, gearing up and down to deal with the steepening grades. While the bench seats may seem like a disadvantage, one can sprawl about, stick the legs straight out, and generally move around a bit. I eased the trip with my trusty inflatable butt cushion. Never leave home without it! Seriously, I have gotten a thousand dollars of relief and comfort from a $12 butt cushion. Boat seats, plane seats, bus seats, Jumbos, you name it, my ass thanks me for it.
The incredible green of the rice fields passing by.
Small villages nestled in the higher and higher valleys.
The Jumbo sped along driven by a man on a mission. I think our guy had a hot date in town. We arrived in Loei before dark, which is always a plus. It had taken us from 9:30 AM until 6:30 PM to go 120 kilometers, give or take. Nine hours. Let's just say it felt good to be walking under our own power. As the streets darkened, we followed our very accurate map to the Sugar Guesthouse. It looked marvelous indeed, but it was not all lit up for our benefit. The owners mother had just died and the long ritual of a true Thai funeral was about to get underway. We offered our condolences and slipped away, backtracking through the now dark streets. But a good coffee solves a great deal. we found a little place with decent espresso, checked our options, and retraced our steps to the King Hotel. Finally, to lay our burden down and wash away the grime of the day. The place was top notch, a bargain at 600 baht. That's a nice hotel room with ensuite bath and a dandy breakfast included for $18.75 US. And remember, that's for two people.
Showered and refreshed, we lolled about the room, needing nothing more. Stretched out on the bed, digging being horizontal, I heard My One say "Look who followed us, it's Mr. Froggy!"
Froggy doppelgänger!!!
Sure enough, there was Mr. Froggy, or at least his twin brother. Releuctantly, I captured Mr. Froggy the Second and escorted him out of the room. I'm pretty sure that this is actually the original Mr. Froggy. I believe that he like My One so much (can't blame him) that he stowed away in her bag. Now he is seeking his fortune in the wider world of Muangloei.
The short remainder of the evening was spent with a good cigar and some television time (Yes! A real TV in our room!!) The only thing on the television was 24/7 coverage about the life of His Majesty the King and the mourning of His Majesty.
From the highlands of Muangloei, having paid our dues to the Travel Gods with a hard day of going not very far, it is time to say Ciao for Now!!
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