We crossed borders. Ran out of money -- to the last centavo, peso, dollar, baht and kip. Argued with Lao policemen in the middle of the night, in a strange, dusty road leading to the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge. Almost killed each other with the intensity of anger and love. Got stuck on the bus for more than 24 hours, up the zig-zag road to Luang Prabang. Braved the freezing aircon of the night bus back to Thailand. Endured the strange and blaring Lao music on a supposedly VIP bus. Got lost in a strange bus station, our first stop, with not a single sign in English. Played hide and seek in the Northern Bus Station in Vientiane. Fought more than half of the trip. Rented a problematic motorcycle. Got lured into getting a Lao massage only to end up like a bunch of greased roasted pork, with no comfort at all for our tired and aching bodies. Got smirked at by salesladies when we offered to swipe because we were out of cash. We walked for more than two hours searching for that mall in Bangkok. We went to the ends of the earth. To hell and back.
But we never left each other. It's a journey babe. A tough one, like the road to Luang Prabang but at the end of it, just like in the uplands of Laos, is a slice of heaven on earth.
Sabaidee, mahal.
