Laos Trip ⑤ Going to the border without a guidebook usually leads to a dead end

Every trip has a theme.

This time, it's this.

"Throw away your books, get out into the streets"

This is a famous book by Shuji Terayama. I have no memory of what it was about,
(though I remember it was wonderful),
but that's beside the point.
What I want you to focus on is the


title. If we replace it with travel, "books" refers to




guidebooks. Let's throw away our guidebooks and go on a trip!
For a certain type of traveler, a trip where you

throw away = don't carry a guidebook is a dream.

That is ultimate freedom!


True freedom travel!

With that bravado, I tossed my "Chikyu no Arukikata: Laos" into the trash and set off on a journey of freedom.

.........

That was a lie; I actually completely forgot the guidebook I bought at the office.




It seems I was punished for secretly planning my trip at work.

Well, let's calm down.
I have over 10 years of experience traveling solo abroad.



It's about time I graduated from guidebooks.




Besides, Laos is in Asia.

Compared to the chaos of Africa, the former Soviet bloc where English isn't spoken, or the Middle East with its vastly different culture, this is like a walk in the park!!

I could probably reach my destination with my eyes closed!




As I thought about it, I got carried away and intentionally skipped the airport bookstore (it would be annoying to buy it again) and boarded the plane.

A few days later...




I was in the depths of despair.



I was in Nakhon Phanom, a town on the Thai-Laos border (having arrived by bus from Udon Thani).

I will enter Laos from here.

On the other side of the massive Mekong River, I can see the Laotian town of Thakhek.

According to my plan, I'm supposed to head to the next town today, so the time I can spend crossing the border is at most 30 minutes.


However, as dusk approached, I had no idea how to cross the Mekong River.

That's because my guidebook is sleeping in my office drawer!!!!

SHIT!!!!!

I stood there with a troubled look on my face, staring at the river that marked the border.

Then, a guy who looked like a good-natured fellow told me, That bus is the one to take to get to the border.

That's Asia for you!
People are so kind.


I thanked him, hopped onto the large bus that was just about to pull away, and let out a sigh of relief.

Wait?


A bus?


I had assumed I would be crossing the border by boat, but...
The bus was moving further and further away from town.



Even though the destination was just a stone's throw away on the opposite bank.

40 minutes later...



I finally saw a bridge.

That was where the immigration office was.

In other words, it's like this↓

Just build a bridge connecting the towns already!!!!!




In the end, immigration took time, and I didn't arrive in Thakhek until 2 hours later

after leaving Nakhon Phanom, Thailand.

It was already night.



I gave up on everything and decided to stay in this town.


Well, come to think of it, even if I had a guidebook, the result would have been the same.

My plans had already fallen apart.

Next time, the open-air eateries of Thakhek