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We meet up at 6am to go get tickets for the bus at 9.30, for Ban Don Chai, a tiny village that acts as the jumping off point for the Gibbons experience. While me and Jim are waiting for the ticket booth to open we're joined by Graham and Rob who are also on the same Gibbons. They manage to squeeze to the front while me and Jim are squeezed back by a determined 5 foot old lady and a monk. 7 tickets bought and Rob, Graham and Hanah disappear off to the bank - open on Sundays in Laos, but you have to wait for the branch in the capital to turn their machines on 600km away.

Jungle VIP's

Gareth Penpraze
2007-04-21 20:32:45

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We meet up at 6am to go get tickets for the bus at 9.30, for Ban Don Chai, a tiny village that acts as the jumping off point for the Gibbons experience. While me and Jim are waiting for the ticket booth to open we're joined by Graham and Rob who are also on the same Gibbons. They manage to squeeze to the front while me and Jim are squeezed back by a determined 5 foot old lady and a monk. 7 tickets bought and Rob, Graham and Hanah disappear off to the bank - open on Sundays in Laos, but you have to wait for the branch in the capital to turn their machines on 600km away. We've but our bags on 2 different buses and are then ushered towards a sangthew already half full. The driver is itching to go as he knows he's about full, but still no sign from the bankers. I manage to communicate in the best foreigner language and hand signals that one ticket in my hand is for me and the other one "at bank." So he gives me 20 minutes to get them from the bank and get back.

I get them back to the bus station and the Sangthew has more in it. I jump on the back bumper with Rob and hold on for dear life. I thought it would be more comfortable but it soon gets cold and the nice tarmac disappears for mud and potholes. We stop and pick up 2 more so we do a head count - 6 in the front cab, 4 standing on the bumper and 12 inside!! Surely that must be some kind of "how many people can you fit in a mini challenge" record. Mild hypothermia sets in to mine and Robs hands and face but Graham is OK he's snuggled up to some old Laos woman we name Mary - should have been Old Mother Hubbard. We think he's pulled!! We have a quick pit stop while a digger alters the road so a bus can continue. Next stop is enforced as a lorry has managed to end up sidewards blocking the whole road!! It gets worse for the guy but he manages to leave some room at one side for us to skip past and leave the problems behind. The guy tries to throw more mud at the wheels ...