We arrived in Vientiane yesterday evening, not aboard the promised ATR-72 aircraft, but aboard an old Russian Y7-100C plane. It was quite an interesting experience, but made the journey OK.
Vientiane has turned out to be predictably disappointing after Luang Prabang, so we’ve decided not to hang around here. Unfortunately, though, all the flights to Hanoi and Phonsavan are full, so we’ve elected to take a bus to Hanoi instead.
In 90 minutes, we leave for Hanoi, a journey that will take some 22 hours by road. We should arrive there around 17:00 tomorrow. It’s supposedly a VIP bus, whatever that means. We’re picturing reclining seats, air-conditioning, tolerable toilet, etc., but we don’t know.
Today was spent looking around temples in the searing heat. If anything, it’s been hotter here today than in Luang Prabang over the last few days.
Anyway, we have to get back to the hotel and get our bags together for the long, long trip ahead.
We’ll write more once we’re in Vietnam.