Hitchhiking in Laos: Lao Bao to Xeno
21st of October, 2024.
I have to leave even under the heavy rain otherwise I will be stuck. The weather prediction says it will be raining all day. I stop at a “restaurant” and ask the lady if she can make me a Banh Mi. Due to her reaction, I’m guessing it’s not something she usually does, but she makes me one anyway, as she has the bread and some eggs. It’s simple but it’s good.
At the border, everything is fine, and I pay 40 USD for the 30 days Visa for Laos.
I keep walking under the rain for a little while, trying to find the most suitable place to hitchhike. I finally decide for after a bridge, where there’s a bus stop by the road, so I can have my packs save from the rain, as for myself too, and just run to the road when I see a car.
I wait for hours but no cars stop. I start to asking for trucks then. After sometime, a truck finally stops. I have already changed my sign from Pakse to Xeno, which is halfway to the former.
The truck driver is a nice man, of course, even though he is actually from Vietnam. Just kidding! I have met a lot of wonderful people in Vietnam. It is just that some of them… Anyway, the truck driver offers me some rice crisps disk, which I devour as I am quite hungry. I could eat it all but I try to be polite so I don’t finish it.
When we arrive in Xeno, it’s almost sunset time already. As I walk towards Pakse, I ask for some ladies in a hair saloon if there’s a Pagoda in this way, to what they answer yes. But as I walk a bit further, I see a nice house, with a huge and awesome yard, and two cows on it. There’s a senior man around, and I can also see his wife, so I decide to ask him if I can camp in his yard. Instantly he says yes, and already starts opening the gate so I can come in. Owm! How nice and sweet! I am speechless!
Their names are Nakhonepheng and Noupet. I start talking with Noupet, she seems like a lovely and kind woman. We sit in the steps of their house, and I try to explain to her about my travels, as I still am not sure about using the translator on the phone.
While we are chatting, I start cuddling the baby cow. After a few seconds I stop, and guess what happens? It comes all the way to me and rests its head on my lap, clearly asking for more cuddles! How adorable!
Noupet tells me I can stay inside their house, no need to camp outside. They have more cows, and soon, Nakhonepeng brings them in.
I take a shower and we have dinner: duck soup and fish soup, with rice. My first two Laos dishes! They tell me about their kids, and show me the photos on the wall, as for some photos on their phones too. Nakhonepeng is a military man (still on duty), but who loves cycling, as he has many photos, and big prints, of him cycling with big groups of friends. Noupet is a tailor and she has two sewing machines in the living room. Their house is immense and spacious, with large rooms and kitchen. It actually reminds me the farm houses in Brazil, I don’t know why.
After dinner, a surprise: Noupet asks me if I want a beer. Laugh out loud! How adorable! She tells me she likes to drink a beer once in a while. By all means, I accept! Middle time, Nakhonepheng is having tea. I love the breaking of stereotypes here! And the beer is nice!
We go to sleep quite early, which is great as I am so tired.
Next morning, Noupet prepares some rice soup for breakfast, and Nakhonepeng makes some Laos coffee for me and for himself. After eating, he changes to go to work, wearing his uniform, and I get ready to leave as well. As I say goodbye to my sweet Noupet, she reminds me that if I ever pass by Xeno again, I should come by to say hi to her. Owm! They are so adorable!
10 Years Around the World 