Overtime at the border

Trip Start Jun 27, 2005
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Trip End Sep 01, 2006


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Flag of Lao Peoples Dem Rep  ,
Saturday, September 10, 2005

On arrival at the border and following unclear instructions, we were meandering on a haphazard path through customs and immigration checkpoints. Eventually, at the last desk, we were asked for 200 BHT per person. When we questioned this, the answer was 'Overtime - it is Saturday morning!' If you tried that on every customer on a Sat & Sun in England, I think you would be a tad unpopular. After several failed attempts to get out of paying and realising we were loosing an unfair battle, we handed over the money and went in search of noodle soup to cheer us up!

Where are the taxi's we were asking as one guy approached us and pointed proudly towards his car, that clapped out thing went through our minds, but we smiled back and negotiated a price. Pakse, here we come, hang on, the door won't close properly, don't worry about that sir, we'll be there in an hour!

What a town Pakse was, like someone had taken a vacuum cleaner and sucked away the interior. What do you do in a town like this? The answer, get out as quick as possible (sorry Eve & Lauren, didn't mean to rub it in with your 7 night stay). The next day, after a very eventful tuk tuk ride, he really didn't understand English, Laos, pointing, maps etc, we were off to the Southern bus stn in search of our 'Sawngthaew' ( a converted truck with bench seats in the back) to take us on the 4 hr journey to Si Phan Don (4000 Islands).
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