Laos > On the way to Phonsavan

Today is a full travel day on the itinerary—a journey through the mountains to Phonsavan. It’s quite a ride, with lots of winding roads. At eight o’clock, we leave Luang Prabang heading south. It’s a bit misty outside, giving the landscape a beautiful and especially unique atmosphere, though the distant views are lost in the haze. After an hour and a half, we stop in the village of Namming Bridge. I’m ready for a break. The bus is stuffy, and with all the twists and turns, I feel slightly nauseous. A bit of fresh air does me good. We stroll through the village and walk across the bridge. At the end of the village, we get back on the bus. A little further on, in Kiokacham, we stop for coffee. The clouds hang low, and the mist adds something special to the village. After another hour of driving, we arrive in Phou Khoun. This town sits at a crossroads between Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Phonsavan.

Laos - A local market in the town at the crossroads between Luang Prabang Vientiane and Phonsavan

The village is filled with market stalls selling all kinds of goods. We stop here for lunch and to take a short walk around. In the afternoon, we continue to Sayoudom, where we visit a local school. One teacher teaches two classes in separate rooms. From the group fund, we contribute to the school. It’s nice to hear that the teacher used money from the previous Baobab group to buy a blackboard. Probably, the other classroom will get a large board now as well. After the school visit, we walk through Sayoudom.

Laos - A small school in Ban Sayoudom

We are quite a sight in the village, and we are greeted with “Sabahdee” from all sides. At the end of the village, our bus is ready to continue our journey. Around four o’clock, we leave the mountains and drive across the plateau for about another hour to Phonsavan. We stay in a simple guesthouse. From the outside, it looks fine, and the reception is friendly. The rooms, however, are small, and the basement rooms are musty. The bathroom is quite small, with the shower positioned above the toilet. I also notice how chilly it is up here on the plateau. Phonsavan is at 1,200 meters altitude. I hadn’t realized that it could get really cold during this trip. The forecast for tonight is only 8 degrees Celsius. We go in search of a beer. The guesthouse doesn’t have a bar, and there aren’t many options nearby either. We take refuge in a nearby hotel where we can get a beer in the lobby. There isn’t much atmosphere, but it’s better than nothing. We accept the lukewarm beer as it is. For the second round, we buy several bottles of beer across the street from a small shop and take them back to our guesthouse. We sit in the seating area in the hall. Phonsavan is a relatively quiet town with not much to do. Fortunately, we’re only staying one night. In the evening, we have dinner at a nearby restaurant.