We have reached a new elevation the further north we go. You really start to notice the temperature difference in the mornings and evenings. Its chilly and your breathe starts to show, but it's still very warm during the day. Right now I'm sitting in a mini van with no leg room while people and luggage sit beneath me on the floor. We are stuffed like sardines. Only 10-12 more hours.. I will never miss this type of travel. We just blew a tire. My guess is we are overweight. While the driver was changing the tire a box with a tarp wrapped around it fell from the rooftop. I went to pick it up to find live chickens chirping. I hope they make the journey. The further up the mountain we go the more narrow the road becomes. But overlooking the cliffside you see lush green trees covering every square inch of the rolling hills. With no ATM's I'm sitting here hoping our combined $50 will be enough for our next bus ticket into Vietnam (including border crossing fees), our hotel for tonight and food. Another flat tire. This one came at the peak of one of the crossing mountains. Now, with no more spares it will be interesting to see what we will do if yet another flat occurs. We stopped for lunch in a small village along the mountain pass. They only have one option, soup with green leaves, chicken scraps and many spices. It's good but not much meat. Mostly bone fragments. I'm up north in Laos and its freezing and I don't have much to keep me warm besides a small hoody. I'll be in Vietnam in 5 hours. I'm a little nervous cuz they dislike Americans. The bus company is run by the mafia and they just loaded bundles of cash wrapped in plastic. And I'm pretty sure there are drugs and weapons in a lot of these unmarked containers. The last bus we were on got two flat tires and was putting up and astound the mountain ridges. Always stopping to pick up people along the roadside. Sometimes packed like sardines. Laos wasn't what I expected it to be. A lot of people here are private, non social or just not friendly. This town we are departing sits high in the mountains and there's mist creeping over the hills and through the dirt streets. With no heater on the bus The woman in the front seat has to keep wiping the windshield free of condensation. The roads are narrow, wet and curvy. It's very green though. Also very communist and they let you know that with billboards, memorials, murals, etc. Like I said most people here Are cold and unwelcoming. I started to think the other day how I missed the feel of Christmas and the winter season but after being here a couple days I think I've decided to get away every winter from I'm now on if possible. People in front and behind me have been throwing up. Once we arrived at the border they took our passports and went through our luggage. Hopefully it's smooth sailing from here. after arriving late and sittingin a freezing train station for a two hour late train we froze once again on the train. Very, very uncomfortabe. Arrived at five a.m. with no sleep. I even fell off the wood bench hitting my head on someone elses head trying to sleep on the train
Small farming town along the mountainside
Sam Neua's monument
Walking to Vietnam
They told me not to take pictures, so i did
Rice fields
Bus got high centered
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