My midnight train to Bangkok got punked, part 1
It’s now August 2019 and it’s time to leave Laos.
“Oh, so sorry the train is sold out for the next 2 days. There are many tourists from Thailand. The bus is available.”
These are the last words I wanted to hear and completely contrast what I had heard about booking the train the day I wanted to leave - Tuesday. I was told it should be ok. My previous hostel even told me it most likely would not be full since it was still low season. I looked down at the money on the counter, I was seconds away from paying the hotel clerk for my upcoming train journey. I did not want to waste one dime on yet another bus trip in this region… at least not a long haul one.
Feel free to revisit my tale of the so-called Sleeper Bus from Hell by way of Vietnam to Laos that I took a month beforehand.
The sane adult in me understands the hotel clerk isn’t at fault and there’s nothing he can do about the train being booked. However, this just added another layer of doubt to ever relying on a place of accommodation to book transit beyond a cab to the airport or a city tour. Lesson learned on my behalf that I have carried through on other travels. Well, thanks to Booking.com, I can also get a reliable car service without the accommodations help while earning points :).
At this point, the nice young man motions for me to accompany him next door to another tourist office. The agent tells me that only the VIP bus or Sleeper bus to Bangkok is available. The train is full for two days. Unless I wanted to wait another two days in Laos….NOPE… I would have to settle for another bus trip.
Technically my Visa was good until Friday but the visit had simply run its course. Spotty internet, getting sick, and losing my appetite for over a week did not help.
I did not want another BS Sleeper bus…which was uncomfortable and barely allowed me to sleep. Once again the rational adult is overcome by my inner 2-year-old who keeps asking “Are you sure there are no seats left on the train? Not even in 3rd class?”
With time ticking, I relent to the reality of the situation, my fantasy of another long-awaited international train trip has evaporated into a cloud of smoke resulting almost in tears of sadness. I asked the clerk to please explain what made the bus “V.I.P” and if he had a photo of the bus interior. It was only SLIGHTLY …and I do mean SLIGHTLY cheaper than the train so I needed to be sure this price would be worth it.
Sigh…smdh..oh more to come on that statement.
He either did not understand, pretended not to understand, or knew these VIP buses were not real VIP ones and evaded an answer ( more later). Frustrated but needing to make a quick decision, I give up on a straight answer about the bus description and directly asked if the VIP buses were sitting buses. I needed to make sure that these were not simply different types of sleeper buses. I would rather have a seat that reclines a bit than those narrow berths - especially the horrible ones in the back when I would most likely be delegated.
Plus, I assumed (wrongly) that I would be able to pick my seat in a sitting bus - VIP or not.
The clock strikes 8:20 am, I relent and pay for the bus. This gives me 10 minutes to run back next door to check out, urinate, and grab water before the tuk-tuk picks me up to take me to the station. Plus, I had to remind myself to tell the hotel clerk about how part of the ceiling crumbed down the night before - oh damp SE Asia humidity can do serious damage (including making a pair of pants mold).
In 20 minutes I go from thinking I would finally grab the train ticket I was excited about for a 9 am pick up to rushing for yet ANOTHER BUS with less than 10 minutes to spare.
Part 2 up next……