This is the continuation of my Thailand-Laos journey. If you weren't able to read the part one yet, please do not continue, this won't make sense.
It's a rainy evening... and after a whole day of adrenaline rush events. All I want is to finally get on the bus and start my 11-hour journey.
As I was waiting at the bus stop, an old woman approaches me. She is saying something, but I can't understand a word. She is pointing to the chair beside me.
Ohh, I get it.
I remove my bag and put it in my lap. I smiled, and nod. She smiled back and seated beside me.
There you go, sign language saves the day!
I still have 30 minutes before the bus leaves. If only I can talk and understand Thai, I would speak to this old lady.
I like knowing other people's culture and their way of living. And I admire those who've seen the World in a different time than me.
I love how decades of experiences can be broken down into stories. Seeing their expressions and the way they go back to those old memories.
I could've have used this last 30 minutes to talk to her, but we just sat there. Smiling back to each other.
Being bored, I took my phone and did my daily journal.
Not the journal that I have to write. It's just like looking back of what happened that day and saying it aloud. Like talking to myself.
At home, I can do that in front of the mirror. In here, I would look crazy if I started blurbing words.
So I started recording myself.
Going back to what happened in the last 6 hours has been crazy!
And talking about it now makes me laugh... A LOT.
“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”
― David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
It was still raining hard when they started receiving passengers.
My seat is in 5D, the guy pointed me to the top deck.
After all the day's drama, finally, time to relax and snooze off.
I am ready to sleep!
They handed us one blanket each, and a snack (water, milk-yogurt drink, and a dewberry biscuit).
While waiting for the bus to fill in, I saw the baby at my backseat staring at me. So I played 'peek a boo' with him since we aren't moving yet.
He probably doesn't understand what I am saying, but he is smiling.
The engine started, and we are ready to go. I locked my seat belt, reclined my chair and extended the footer so I can lay down.
I hope everyone could be as relaxed as me, full body flat on 'bed'. Sometimes, my short height could be an advantage 😉
I fell asleep.
And then, I was awakened by a loud crying baby's voice. It was the baby at my back, and he is in no way ready to stop.
It lasted for about an hour, and everyone started to get irritated.
I drove asleep again, without noticing.
It was a nice rest.
Until someone woke me up, tapping my shoulder. As my open my eyes...the blurriness started to get clear.
The guy talking to me is like in a police uniform, and he keeps on talking in the Thai language.
Am I being abducted? So I have an offense for sleeping?
"I can't understand Thai", I finally blurted out.
"Ohhhhh you look Thai, same same" he said.
"I am from the Philippines, what are you saying again?"
"Checkpoint, police check. Show me ID"
And then I handed my passport.
"OK, go sleep".
I hope it's that easy to fall back again.
I tried. But many minutes passed and I just can't.
I look outside and enjoyed the night lights as we passed them. I can't help but smile. Of how I can be so free to do what I want in life.
To be able to go out on my own, and to be able to travel.
I didn't notice I fell asleep again until the sun rays hit my eyes and I woke up. Sun is already high, and I can see the road clearly.
I checked my google maps just to see where I am. I can't be sure where exactly, but it says 14 minutes away from the Udon Thani Bus Station.
I started to eat the snacks they gave me. As I sat there knowing I am just a few kilometers away to my destination.
And then the bus stops.
I am here.
Oh wow, that was an adventure!
I missed my flight, but I made it to Udon Thani.
Cheers!
gif are from https://www.giphy.com, images taken using Xiaomi Redmi 4x
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