It ****** with rain last night in Oudamxai. It was so heavy it woke me up early in the morning. The further north I go the crappier the busses get. Today's is a 15 seater and we managed to get 36 people into it.
Sherief (the french guy from yesterday) is travelling with me cos we are headed in the same direction. We were last on the bus so we didnt get seats. we had to sit on little cane stools in the isle. From Oudamxai to Muoand Khua is only 100 km but it took us 4hr. The road was narrow winding road and we got a flat on the way. The driver had to change the tyre. I mean CHANGE. Take the tyre off the rim and put another one on. He did this on the road then had to pump up the tyre by hand. The old tyre had 2 bolts through the sidewall holding a steel patch over a split in the sidewall. The new tyre was bald as.
Muoang Khua is a sleepy little village. Sherief and I walked around and had to wake up the shopkeepers to buy stuff. We checked into a guesthouse (another $5 room) that overlooks the river from a hugh balcony. After we got some water and looked around we went back for a beer. We had only just started when a Dutch guy joined us. He is heading the same way and the boatman sent him up to see us.. We stayed for the afternoon and managed to get through 14 king browns and all had a meal and all for less than $7 each. It was so quiet sitting there with no city noise and just the sound of the kids playing in the river and the pigs and chooks scratching around.
We arranged with mama to wake us at 4am tomorrow cos we have to get the 5am boat across the river to get the 5.30 bus to the border.