Loas.....Well the story continues. I finally arrived and let me be honest after my time in Vietnam I breathed a huge grateful sigh that I was now not on Vietnamese soil. After much bartering me and the other stranded travellers managed to get a pick up to the nearest town of Lak Sao (where the infamous coach was supposed to be picking us up) and after as a group deciding we were going to make our own way to Vientanne even though it was going to cost and purely becuase we could not be assured the coach would pick us up in the morning...lets look at history of vietnamese their word is hardly set in stone! Anyway leaving vietnam behind we arrive in a small dusty town which was full of smiles...oh my god I thought after vietnam people actually smile! We managed to negotiate a minibus to the spot where 2 route numbers meet that has bus's straight to Vientiane...the guy dropped us off in a small place that I can only describe as something out of a wild western..their was no-one about at all...just one long dusty road crossing another dusty road oh and 5 of us and our backpacks. The minibus driver assured us their would be a bus to Vientiane due at 3pm...its now 2.45pm...and guess what like a mirage out of the dust true to his word comes the bus dead on 3pm. Amazing I thought seems we're getting somewhere and thankfully people are now telling the truth...result! Okay let me describe the bus....its full of local people, you have to fight to get a seat..bags of rice block the walkway that have small plastic chairs on for you to sit...there's pigs and ducks making noises everywhere...and trust me and my luck I get stuck next to an old Loas man who Im sure was pissed cos he kept ranting on to me and seemed to take a liking with my nike top...so much so he took off his socks which were also nike and then insisted to wave them in my face - nice. Why does it always happen to me I thought...I had to laugh, but also had to still try to communictae with him has not wanting to offend him! Oh yeah I also think he thought I was hitler cos when he got off he stood up and saluted me...I nearly died everyone on the bus was watching and the fellow travellers were cracking up laughing observing from a distance my experience! The journey was 6hrs long passing through some remote villages in Loas....and it was baking hot, the exact opposite from Vietnam. Anyway something dawned on me why am I stuck on this bus sweating like Im wrapped in cling film suffering people smoking and dust everywhere.....I suddenyl thought dont people ride on the tops of bus's in these parts...so inquisitive as I am I run the thought pass the other 4 guys Im with and after asking te conductor guy who gives us the go ahead...we spend the next couple of hours on the top of the bus riding through almost desert like condition...what an experience, I loved it! Though not sure the pigs did that were in sacks next to me on the top of the bus or the birds I could hear making plenty of noise! And amazingly we arrived in Vientiane at the same time as the imaginary coach should have arrived...honestly for the experience i would go throught it all again...well apart from sleeping on the cat urine smelling floor....it was an experince I'll remember for sure! Laos is so laid back compared to any other country Ive been too and one thing I noticed straight away was their was no noise of horns, which I left behind in vietnam...peace to my ears! Ive just spent the last 4days relaxing and getting over vietnam...Life is good here lazing by the mekong reading books and chlling out..its needed! Ciao for now folks.......need to explore Loas and see what this country has to offer!