Patience is a funny thing. It is that one trait that for the longest time I had wondered whether or not I possessed. While I have no patience with incompetence and other annoyances, I have no problem waiting. part of the reason is that I always find a way to spend my time wisely. I use waiting time to read books, write blog posts and poetry, and even build a life plan for the rest of the year. in that sense, I believe I am patient. but then, it had never been tested. until this bus ride.
There was only one bus that plies the Luang Prabang-Hanoi route per day. It was already my fifth day in Luang Prabang, Laos and it was time for me to move on to Vietnam. While my original plan was to spend a day in the cities of hue and Vinh each, I realized that the little time I had left (one week before my flight back to Manila) won’t be enough to really experience Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and Ha long Bay. I decided to just go straight to Hanoi. but there was a caveat — the estimated travel time was 24 hours. Yes, my friends, one full day sitting in a bus.
The good news was, my friend Josephine would be going with me. Josephine is a lovely French lady I met in Chiang Mai, whom I coincidentally bumped into again in Luang Prabang seven days later. We decided to take the same bus to Hanoi. It was probably the best decision I made in this entire trip.
WHAT’S covered IN THIS GUIDE?
The Bus From Hell
Eten en water
Earphones/Headset
Books and Gadgets
A Neck Pillow
Jacket or Scarf
Handreinigingsmiddel
Sociale vaardigheden
Geduld
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The Bus From Hell
Many a traveler who has taken this ride called it hell bus or bus from hell not because of the bus itself but the long, agonizing duration of the ride. I had read so many horror stories about it but I took them with a grain of salt every time. After all, I had endured hours of bus rides here in the Philippines, and there were times that I thought I actually enjoyed them. but this was different. The 24-hour travel time they promised became 25, then 26, and when we finally reached the city center of Hanoi, 27 hours had already passed. Voorstellen.
Luang Prabang, Laos
Our trip started at the Luang Prabang bus terminal at 6 in the evening. My friend Jo was already waiting for me there when I arrived. We purchased tickets, reserved seats, and boarded the bus. The bus was the sleeper type with seats that can be reclined so low if it weren’t for the constant motion, it could pass as very comfortable. We shared it with twenty something other tourists, mostly from Europe, and half a dozen Vietnamese. A small TV was installed in the front area of the bus and was showing Vietnamese TV shows the whole time.
I can tell you what happened within the 27 hours in great detail but to make this post useful, allow me to narrate what happened in the form of things to bring with you if you’re taking the same trip!
Eten en water
I had two big bottles of water with me but the biggest mistake that I made while preparing for this ride was not to bring food. since all the buses that I had taken in Laos all made a stop at a good restaurant, I was counting on this doing the same. I was soooo wrong. In 27 hours, we only made one stop at an eatery in Vietnam. The problem was, the place was so dirty that NONE of us (except for the bus staff) decided to eat there. We ended up buying biscuits from a nearby sari-sari store, which did not have much either. how I survived eating only a pack of biscuits was astonishing, given my voracious appetite.
Thank you, Marie! You’re a lifesaver! The only food I had in 30 hours.
Earphones/Headset
I thought it was just me but other tourists noticed it as well. As soon as we entered Vietnamese territory, the driver turned crazy with the honking! The ride across Laos was smooth and quiet (other than the loud music) but the moment we crossed the border, they just kept on honking every 20 seconds or so. eventually they switched drivers and I thought that would be the end of it, but the other driver also did the same as if honking was their national sport. thank God I had earphones on!
Books and Gadgets
I finished a 400-page Neil Gaiman-Al Sarrantonio compilation book during the ride. and mind you, I am a slow reader. If reading is not your thing, bring your iPod, iPhone, iPad, whatever other tablet or player with you and beef them up with as many movies and songs as you can. Anything that would keep you busy. You will need them.
A Neck Pillow
I have a neck pillow but it was not with me on this trip. My neck really ached after the ride because I couldn’t find a good position to make my head comfortable. many other travelers on the bus had theirs. goed voor hen.
Jacket or Scarf
It can get really cold inside the bus. It was especially cold at the border that early morning. You might also want to bring a smaller bag that you can carry around with you becauseJe grote tas wordt opgeslagen in het buscompartiment hieronder.
Handreinigingsmiddel
Ik denk dat een handdesinfecterend middel een essentieel is, of de rit lang of niet is. Veel van de toiletten waar we stopten waren helemaal niet netjes. Houd een hand ontsmettingsmiddel bij de hand.
Sociale vaardigheden
Ik had het geluk dat ik op reis was met Josephine, met wie ik heel dichtbij was geweest. Ik merkte andere jongens op die altijd alleen en stil waren en ik kon me gewoon niet voorstellen dat ik 27 uur in een bus zat met niemand om mee te praten. Elke keer dat ik iemand alleen opmerkte, zou ik hem benaderen en kleine chats met hen maken. Ik wist niet zeker of ze alleen het eenlingstype waren of ze waren gewoon verlegen. Hoe dan ook, het was geen kwaad om te proberen uit te reiken.
Geduld
De hele rit was op zijn zachtst gezegd een behoorlijk test van geduld. Het schijnbaar eindeloze wachten, het gebrek aan eten, het constante toeteren – ze zouden je bereiken en de boeddhist in jou uitdagen. Zelfs toen we bij de busstation aankwamen, hadden we het moeilijk om naar ons hotel te gaan. Het was een strijd om met de taxichauffeurs om te gaan, omdat ze vaak zoveel hoger in rekening zouden brengen dan ons werd verteld. Uiteindelijk namen we een shuttle aan met de andere toeristen met wie we de bus deelden. Het kostte ons nog 2 uur om eindelijk onze hotelkamer te bereiken en een mooie, warme douche te hebben.
Hanoi Opera House
Het was geen uitstekende ervaring, maar het was nog steeds iets dat ik blij was dat ik had meegemaakt, niet dat ik het opnieuw zou doen. Het is een van die dingen die als je andere mensen erover hoort praten, je onbewust een sluwe glimlach op je gezicht kraakt, alleen omdat je er doorheen was gegaan en het overleefde.
Ik denk dat de sleutel hier gewoon was om van elk moment ervan te genieten. Ja, er waren momenten dat ik iemand wilde raken, zodat ik me beter kon voelen (Wahahaha), maar als je het op je lef liet komen, zou de enige verlies jij zijn. Het komt allemaal neer op hoe je je voorbereidt op de rit. Vecht tegen de ultieme verveling door de juiste dingen te hebben – een goed boek, een goed gadget, goed eten en goed gezelschap.
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