How to survive your next bumpy bus ride

by Catherine Bodry on

Bumpy bus rides are never fun. But bumpy, winding, crowded, cross-country bus rides with a driver who might need Ritalin can rattle even the most sedated nerves. And what do you do when the bus breaks down?

One such ride across Laos was scheduled to take my husband and me 8-10 hours. After about 11 hours of braking across muddy turns tighter than my great aunt’s hatpin on Easter, the driver stopped and motioned for us to get off. We filed off into the night and stood around in the muck while the driver put chains on the tires in an attempt to get us through some seriously muddy patches. The jungle hovered over us and it was unusually cold; a few women built sad little fires out of green twigs that did little more than smoke. After about an hour and a half of shivering around on the road, we all filed back on the bus. We traveled about 100 feet before getting stuck again, so we all filed back off the bus. Again came the smoky fires, which we pathetically huddled around. After a good hour we obediently got back on the bus and took our seats. This time we didn’t go far at all, and from what I could understand there was now a mechanical problem. Off the bus. Huddle around fire.

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By now it was after midnight, we were out of water, and the lunch we had 10 hours earlier was long gone from our stomachs. Our backpacks were on top of the bus, along with warmer clothes. At some point in the middle of the night we all filed back on, and we knew it was to sleep. It was so cold that another traveler, in desperation, ripped the pages from his magazine and tried to cover his arms and legs with them. At one point I asked Lael to reach under our seat and grab my purse, and when he did so a shrill SQWWWWAK jolted everyone from their meager slumbers. We had a chicken under our seat, which we lovingly named H5N1.

In the morning, we were still stuck (see photo, and note the sad little fire on the bottom left), and Lael and I contemplated walking the remaining 25 kilometers to Luang Nam Tha, our destination. We got our packs down and readied ourselves to walk a good 20 miles with no food or water, but just as we were ready to go, the bus began working. We all piled on, stepping over the sacks of rice in the aisle, and took our seats. This time, we traveled a good hour before we had to pull over again and when we did, it was to take the chains off.

We were unprepared for this kind of traveling unknown, but we could’ve been. Here’s what I learned (and I had about 29 hours to think about it on that trip):

  • Bring a snack, water, and toilet paper. You’ll be happy you brought all three, even if your bus doesn’t break down.
  • Bring a warm shirt — even if you don’t wear it, it makes a good pillow or backrest.
  • Bring a light, even if you can’t read while in motion. It’ll come in handy for reading maps, checking a guidebook, or helping your driver put chains on in the pitch dark.
  • I’m not advocating sedatives here, but those pills you popped to get through that transatlantic flight? They’ll calm those same nerves that might get a bit ruffled in the face of a driver who continually taunts death.
  • Bring reading material — again, even if you can’t read in a moving vehicle, you’ll be happy you brought it if you find yourself standing around for 13.2 hours.
  • Make friends. The local travelers were our best source of information (only one Laotian spoke English, but he was able to communicate what was happening).

Any tips I’m forgetting? Leave a a comment and share it with us!

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Where on Earth week 48: Vang Vieng, Laos

by Catherine Bodry on

This location didn’t seem to be too difficult for readers to figure out — three out of four commenters guessed correctly, while one answer was close — this person guessed the “Banana Pancake” trail of Chiang Mai (sounds delish).

So, Vang Vieng it is — truly a budget backpacker’s prime destination. During the day, travelers can inter-tube down the river, which is surrounded by lush green mountains. Riverside bars try to lure travelers in by providing zip lines and rope swings, and there’s always an eager Lao man with a curved stick ready to sweep you in and serve you deliciously refreshing Beer Lao. After a mellow day on the river, head to the tiny town area to dazedly watch “Friends” reruns with other backpackers.

This photo was taken from my guesthouse after such a day.

Photo of the Day (2-27-08)

by Jamie Rhein on

One reason I like this photo is because of the boy wearing the red sweater. He brings the photographer into the shot with his glance. The second reason I like this shot is the mix of clothes the kids are wearing. It reminds me of any village where I’ve traveled where kids have access to western style clothes but mix it up with traditional items.

The book, a Lao alphabet book, is from a project called Big Brother Mouse that fosters literacy in Laos. The book was left with two older kids in the village. According to the description by uncorneredmarket who posted the shot, it seemed the kids hadn’t seen a book before and were delighted–a fine interaction indeed.

If you’ve had a fine interaction, share it with us with your photos by posting them at Gadling’s Flickr photo pool.

Photo of the Day 2-10-2008

by Catherine Bodry on


Uncornered Market snapped this shot on a boat ride from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw, Laos. I took this same boat ride in reverse, in 2005. It was peaceful and beautiful, with green hills and lapping water. It was also freezing (it was an unnaturally cold week and I hadn’t brought any warm clothes) — another traveler offered me their sleeping bag in sympathy, and I took it.

Got travel photos to share? Upload them to Gadling’s Flickr pool and we’ll consider them for our Photo of the Day feature.

Photo of the Day (2/06/08)

by Jamie Rhein on

The wooden bench, the folding table, the saffron colored robe, the slats on the open shutters–so much of this photo captures the look of parts of Southeast Asia where I have wandered. The composition of the rectangular shapes of the doorways and windows is visually interesting, as are the bits of green from the foliage. Un rosarino en Vietnam has quite the knack for being able to capture people in a moment. This monk, according to the description, is “resting” in the backyard of a temple in Luang Prabang, Laos – 2007.

What moments have you captured in your travels. For photo of the day, upload them at Gadling’s photo pool on Flickr.