***Started writing at 12:30pm***
We headed into the mountains shortly after leaving Dong Ha. In a short while we arrived at the border, the Vietnamese customs agent checked us out of Vietnam and we walked across the border into Laos.
We pretty much had to show every person we met our passport. We made it to the customs window and acquired two forms to fill out. I realized that my visa photos were still in my pack in the baggage carrier under the bus. After a stressful couple of minutes I located the bus driver and asked him if I could get to my pack. He waved me on and I rifled through my pack. Luckily, I dug out my Ziploc of misc. stuff the night before and it was right on top. I grabbed the photos and was back at the counter in less than 3 minutes. The agents looked over my documents and affixed a Laos visa to my passport as I handed them 2 $20 US bills which were thoroughly inspected and 4 tattered $1 US bills were returned as change. As this was going on the bus was already boarding to continue on. The team of 3 officers (the money collector, the visa stickerer, and the surly inspector) finished and with a seemingly labor intensive, unenthusiastic drop/lob the passport was back into my hands and I was off across the street to the bus.
I met yet another border agent and showed him my newly affixed Loas visa, then looked around for James who went to the toilet a few minutes earlier. After seeing flashes of my worst fear of the trip being realized, one of us being left behind in the middle of a non-english speaking town, James emerged, we boarded the bus, and were mobile immediately. The bus driver probably would have waited longer but the other passengers wanted to go.
I've been on the bus for an hour and a half in Loas now and it's such a different world than Vietnam or any other place I've seen so far. It is very humbling passing these stilted stick houses, the clear cut and burned forests, smoldering piles of charcoal, masses of wandering goats, cows, and water buffalo as well as the tuk-tuks. Seeing all this makes me think back to all the stories I would hear from my grandfather and great grandfather about how things were back when they were growing up. This scenery makes me long for the simpler times, yet have a great appreciation for how fortunate we are to be just passing through this place.
***Written at 2pm***
We stopped at a roadside cafe I had rice with string beans and fried egg with at 25% Orange Juice drink that tastes like flat orange soda. After yet another near-miss bus incident with Meg we are back on the road to Savannaket/Xvanahket/Sahvanahkhet/Savannakhet depending on what map you're looking at.
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