Itvwasnt on the 15th may i forgot to change date but actually took place around the 8th of may or something ike that! this actually was the bus journey from hell!!!! no kidding!!! i dont think i will even be able to give this exert justice as to how bad it all was!!! 26 hrs!!!!! i have had ong journeys and have become used to them but this was a joke! we paid $17 (a total rip off). The bus was at 6pm so we were told to be at our hostel for about 5.15pm as a wee bus would come and get us and take us to the big bus. the wee bus didnt turn up till 6pm but we were told not to worry. we were crammed tight like sardines on this mini bus with bags on roof (not secured) and ferried about to the bus depot. at one point we thought we were going all the way to Hanoi on this thing (wish we had as it would have benn better). we were sitting next to this big guy from malaysia (he was fat) and he said "I am a think man but if we go all the way to hanoi in this i think i will DIE" it was very funny at the time. Got to the bus station and there were tons of buses and none looked like the picture we had been shown! first sign of bad things to come. we were ferried onto a bus that was roasting asnd stunk i mean totally stuck of rotting friut and veg (it was durain fruit.....not pleasant at all). the bus was packed with alsorts taking up half the seats (check my pictures as words cant do it justice). bus was full of washing powder and boxes under everyseat and stuff up the ailses. wewere crammed on and finally left an hour or so late and about 30mins into journey air con was switched off and never to be put on again!!!!!!! the gu in front of me put his seat nack and i had no leg room and i couldnt even put my legs to the side due to the way the chairs were designed!!! my feet were so swollen after that journey i could hardly walk! the driver raced along the roads and around the mountains. i didnt sleep a wink and was watching him on the roads. he was driving up the middle and like a mad man as if we were on a tight schedule! the cliffs and mountains were really dangerous and the bridges we crossed on the bus i would consider twice before walking them! the other driver ould get out and check the bridge safety before bus would proceed! we got to the boarder 4 hours to early and had to sit crammed and wait on bus! it then took us 2 hours to get through the border (viatnamese are tough cookies). the bus l;kept stopping picking up more junk opr droping junk off and that is why it ook so long!That and in vietnam the drive like maniacs! you dont ned a drivers licence!!!!! oh we also crahsed into a cow!(see pictures) seriously a cow!! lynsey got her IPod stolen and the irish girl got their phones and cameras stolen! it really was meantal!!! 26 hrs of hell! it totally fecked us for first day in hanoi! we slept and ate and that was about it! i am sure there is more i ahve missed out but it was crazy! bus full of locals who all seemed to know each other and thought we were very funny! man it was hell!! anway i surved and there was no other way to do it other than fly and well laos airways dont have the best rep!