Travel to Thakhek and Arrival

As there wasn't much to see in the capital city, we continued our journey south the next day. A bus took us to the small town of Thakhek within 5 hours (at least, that was the plan). Unlike the previous bus rides, this time we didn't have a minivan, which would have taken us there in 4 hours, but a 'local bus'. We hadn't experienced this before, but we had heard many negative things about it.

Laos is known for its relaxed and laid-back atmosphere. When we booked the bus ride and were told it was a local bus, we were prepared for everything and knew that the journey would take at least 7 hours. We took a tuk-tuk to the bus station and then tried to find our bus. It wasn't easy because, as is well-known, no one in the capital city speaks English, especially not the bus drivers. So we simply showed our ticket to everyone until we found the right bus. I personally made sure with the driver that it was indeed the correct bus.

As usual, our backpacks were transported on the roof, and the remaining storage space was used for scooters. Yes, scooters were transported lying down underneath the buses....

Otherwise, the bus reminded me of public buses in Germany, but here they were much older and more run-down. It was almost as if the buses from Germany that no longer passed the TÜV were shipped here ;)

So, a 'local bus' means a public bus that stops at every small village along the way to the destination and occasionally stops because people want to get on or off. As we were looking for a seat, I noticed the extravagant curtains, blue and purple with birds on them.... They have quite an extraordinary taste.

The bus left relatively on time, but I was puzzled by the open door. The mystery was quickly solved: as soon as we left the bus station and were on the road, we stopped again. But this time not to pick up new passengers, but because the market women got on. They had various food items in their hands, but when I took a closer look, especially when the smell hit my nose, I definitely decided against it. On the one hand, you can buy sliced mango, but it is packed in a plastic bag that has already turned brown and water droplets are running down inside. Alternatively, I was offered grilled frogs or chickens on a skewer. We took the women a few meters and they got off at the next stop. By the way, the door remained open for the entire journey... After a few hours, we took a break, and I have never been so glad to get off a bus.

The road we traveled on is right on the Thai border. On the way, I received an SMS from my mobile phone provider and was welcomed to Thailand. A look at the map then solved the mystery: the road we were on is right on the Thai border.

We actually arrived in the small town of Thakhek after a total of 7 hours, and here too we felt the temperature difference again. The heat was intense. So we took our backpacks and took a tuk-tuk to the hostel. When we arrived, we rested for a short while and then planned the next few days.

The city of Thakhek itself doesn't offer much. Many backpackers come here because of the so-called 'Loop'. Behind this term is a motorcycle/scooter route that starts in Thakhek and leads through various cities in a circle back to Thakhek. We read a lot about it on the internet and also went to a few shops on-site and sought advice and found the best route. We also rented our scooters in advance on that evening - €24 for 3 full days per scooter. These prices are something you can only dream of in Germany, and no one here even wants to see a driver's license.

We had dinner right by the water - and had a beautiful sunset before going to bed early.