Patience is a funny thing. It is that one trait that for the longest time I had wondered whether or not I possessed. While I have no patience with incompetence and other annoyances, I have no problem waiting. part of the reason is that I always find a way to spend my time wisely. I use waiting time to read books, write blog posts and poetry, and even build a life plan for the rest of the year. in that sense, I believe I am patient. but then, it had never been tested. until this bus ride.
There was only one bus that plies the Luang Prabang-Hanoi route per day. It was already my fifth day in Luang Prabang, Laos and it was time for me to move on to Vietnam. While my original plan was to spend a day in the cities of hue and Vinh each, I realized that the little time I had left (one week before my flight back to Manila) won’t be enough to really experience Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and Ha long Bay. I decided to just go straight to Hanoi. but there was a caveat — the estimated travel time was 24 hours. Yes, my friends, one full day sitting in a bus.
The good news was, my friend Josephine would be going with me. Josephine is a lovely French lady I met in Chiang Mai, whom I coincidentally bumped into again in Luang Prabang seven days later. We decided to take the same bus to Hanoi. It was probably the best decision I made in this entire trip.
តើមានអ្វីគ្របដណ្តប់ក្នុងមគ្គុទេសក៍នេះ?
The Bus From Hell
Food and Water
Earphones/Headset
Books and Gadgets
A Neck Pillow
Jacket or Scarf
ទឹកលាងដៃ
ជំនាញសង្គម
Patience
ព័ត៌មានជំនួយជាច្រើនទៀតនៅលើប្រកាស uTube ពត៌មាន:
The Bus From Hell
Many a traveler who has taken this ride called it hell bus or bus from hell not because of the bus itself but the long, agonizing duration of the ride. I had read so many horror stories about it but I took them with a grain of salt every time. After all, I had endured hours of bus rides here in the Philippines, and there were times that I thought I actually enjoyed them. but this was different. The 24-hour travel time they promised became 25, then 26, and when we finally reached the city center of Hanoi, 27 hours had already passed. Imagine.
Luang Prabang, Laos
Our trip started at the Luang Prabang bus terminal at 6 in the evening. My friend Jo was already waiting for me there when I arrived. We purchased tickets, reserved seats, and boarded the bus. The bus was the sleeper type with seats that can be reclined so low if it weren’t for the constant motion, it could pass as very comfortable. We shared it with twenty something other tourists, mostly from Europe, and half a dozen Vietnamese. A small TV was installed in the front area of the bus and was showing Vietnamese TV shows the whole time.
I can tell you what happened within the 27 hours in great detail but to make this post useful, allow me to narrate what happened in the form of things to bring with you if you’re taking the same trip!
Food and Water
I had two big bottles of water with me but the biggest mistake that I made while preparing for this ride was not to bring food. since all the buses that I had taken in Laos all made a stop at a good restaurant, I was counting on this doing the same. I was soooo wrong. In 27 hours, we only made one stop at an eatery in Vietnam. The problem was, the place was so dirty that NONE of us (except for the bus staff) decided to eat there. We ended up buying biscuits from a nearby sari-sari store, which did not have much either. how I survived eating only a pack of biscuits was astonishing, given my voracious appetite.
Thank you, Marie! You’re a lifesaver! The only food I had in 30 hours.
Earphones/Headset
I thought it was just me but other tourists noticed it as well. As soon as we entered Vietnamese territory, the driver turned crazy with the honking! The ride across Laos was smooth and quiet (other than the loud music) but the moment we crossed the border, they just kept on honking every 20 seconds or so. eventually they switched drivers and I thought that would be the end of it, but the other driver also did the same as if honking was their national sport. thank God I had earphones on!
Books and Gadgets
I finished a 400-page Neil Gaiman-Al Sarrantonio compilation book during the ride. and mind you, I am a slow reader. If reading is not your thing, bring your iPod, iPhone, iPad, whatever other tablet or player with you and beef them up with as many movies and songs as you can. Anything that would keep you busy. You will need them.
A Neck Pillow
I have a neck pillow but it was not with me on this trip. My neck really ached after the ride because I couldn’t find a good position to make my head comfortable. many other travelers on the bus had theirs. good for them.
Jacket or Scarf
It can get really cold inside the bus. It was especially cold at the border that early morning. You might also want to bring a smaller bag that you can carry around with you becauseកាបូបធំរបស់អ្នកនឹងត្រូវរក្សាទុកនៅបន្ទប់ឡានក្រុងខាងក្រោម។
ទឹកលាងដៃ
ខ្ញុំគិតថាអនាម័យដៃមួយគឺចាំបាច់ថាការជិះគឺវែងឬអត់។ បន្ទប់ទឹកជាច្រើនដែលយើងឈប់មិនស្អាតទាល់តែសោះ។ រក្សាអនាម័យដៃដោយដៃ។
ជំនាញសង្គម
ខ្ញុំមានសំណាងណាស់ដែលខ្ញុំបានធ្វើដំណើរជាមួយយ៉ូសែបដែលខ្ញុំបាននៅជិតបំផុត។ ខ្ញុំបានកត់សម្គាល់ឃើញបុរសផ្សេងទៀតដែលតែងតែនៅម្នាក់ឯងហើយស្ងប់ស្ងាត់ហើយខ្ញុំមិនអាចស្រមៃខ្លួនឯងថាកំពុងជាប់ក្នុងឡានក្រុងអស់រយៈពេល 27 ម៉ោងដោយគ្មាននរណាម្នាក់និយាយជាមួយ។ រាល់ពេលដែលខ្ញុំបានកត់សម្គាល់ឃើញនរណាម្នាក់តែម្នាក់ឯងខ្ញុំនឹងចូលទៅជិតពួកគេហើយធ្វើឱ្យជជែកតូចជាមួយពួកគេ។ ខ្ញុំមិនប្រាកដថាតើពួកគេគ្រាន់តែជាប្រភេទ louder ឬពួកគេគ្រាន់តែខ្មាស់អៀន។ តាមវិធីណាក៏ដោយមិនមានគ្រោះថ្នាក់ក្នុងការព្យាយាមឈោងចាប់យកទេ។
អមនត់
ការជិះទាំងមូលគឺពិតជាការសាកល្បងការអត់ធ្មត់ដើម្បីនិយាយតិចបំផុត។ ការរង់ចាំដែលហាក់ដូចជាគ្មានទីបញ្ចប់គឺកង្វះស្បៀងអាហារការផ្តល់កិត្តិយសឥតឈប់ឈររបស់ពួកគេនឹងទទួលបានសម្រាប់អ្នកនិងជំទាស់នឹងព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនានៅក្នុងខ្លួនអ្នក។ សូម្បីតែនៅពេលដែលយើងបានមកដល់ស្ថានីយរថយន្តក្រុងក៏ដោយយើងមានការលំបាកក្នុងការទទួលបានសណ្ឋាគាររបស់យើង។ វាជាការតស៊ូក្នុងការដោះស្រាយជាមួយអ្នករត់តាក់ស៊ីតេព្រោះពួកគេច្រើនតែគិតថ្លៃខ្ពស់ជាងអ្វីដែលយើងត្រូវបានគេប្រាប់។ យើងបានបញ្ចប់ការធ្វើលំហាត់ប្រាណជាមួយភ្ញៀវទេសចរដទៃទៀតដែលយើងបានចែករំលែកឡានក្រុង។ វាបានចំណាយពេល 2 ម៉ោងទៀតដើម្បីឈានដល់បន្ទប់សណ្ឋាគាររបស់យើងហើយមានផ្កាឈូកក្តៅស្អាត។
ផ្ទះអូណូនីល្ខោនអូប៉េរ៉ា
វាមិនមែនជាបទពិសោធន៍ដ៏ល្អទេប៉ុន្តែវានៅតែជាអ្វីដែលខ្ញុំរីករាយដែលខ្ញុំបានជួបប្រទះមិនមែនថាខ្ញុំនឹងធ្វើវាម្តងទៀតទេ។ វាជារឿងមួយក្នុងចំណោមរបស់ទាំងនោះនៅពេលដែលអ្នកលឺអ្នកផ្សេងទៀតនិយាយអំពីវាអ្នកមិនដឹងខ្លួនបង្ក្រាបស្នាមញញឹមនៅលើមុខរបស់អ្នកគ្រាន់តែដោយសារតែអ្នកបានឆ្លងកាត់វាហើយបានរួចផុតពីវាហើយបានរួចផុតពីវា។
ខ្ញុំគិតថាគន្លឹះនៅទីនេះគឺគ្រាន់តែរីករាយនឹងរាល់ពេលរបស់វា។ ត្រូវហើយមានពេលខ្លះដែលខ្ញុំចង់វាយនរណាម្នាក់ដូច្នេះខ្ញុំអាចមានអារម្មណ៍ធូរស្រាល (Wahahaha) ប៉ុន្តែប្រសិនបើអ្នកអនុញ្ញាតឱ្យវាទទួលបានការចាញ់របស់អ្នកតែម្នាក់គត់ដែលចាញ់អ្នក។ វាទាំងអស់ពុះចុះទៅពីរបៀបដែលអ្នករៀបចំខ្លួនសម្រាប់ការជិះ។ ប្រយុទ្ធប្រឆាំងនឹងភាពធុញទ្រាន់ចុងក្រោយដោយមានរបស់ត្រឹមត្រូវ – សៀវភៅល្អឧបករណ៍ល្អអាហារឆ្ងាញ់អាហារឆ្ងាញ់និងក្រុមហ៊ុនល្អ។
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