Date: 2018-11-21 to 2018-11-22

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From Guilin I went 6 hours by train to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province. It was just a transfer stop, because I headed directly to the south bus station and was happy to get a ticket on the same day with the night bus to Luang Prabang.

I had already taken some night busses in my life like in Europe and South America, but this one was a surprise. They really built beds into the bus.

After we went off, I got comfortable with the bed, it was nice and just after one hour we made a short stop and I had my last Chinese dumplings (饺子) for dinner at a petrol station.

Back on the bus the highway in China was really good and so I slept well. After a break in the night, where the drivers slept as well we got to Mohan border town on the Chinese side. There we had a longer stop until 9 am when we finally headed to the border.

Well on Chinese side they were again very curious what an Austrian is doing here, but finally after some chat – I even could use one of my selected Chinese phrases again: 我是奥地利人

It was funally so perfectly pronounced that the border guard asked me if I speak Chinese. But I was sorry to tell him I only can speak some phrases.

So after the Chinese let me out we walked to the Lao side of the border which was not that far.

First I had to pay 1$ tourism fee and then I filled out the visa on arrival form. I already had taken a passport photos in Beijing, which is another hilarious story, and so I handed over the form and the photo after three offices nodded an smiled at me doing lots of writing and stamping I was the proud owner of a 30 days visa for Laos.

So finally I filled out the arrival form and headed for the real customs check and there was no problem so I finally was in Laos.

After the checkpoint we had to wait a while, because the bus had to be checked.

But at about 12 pm we headed again southward to Luang Prabang.

The roads in Laos were not that nice with a lot of curves and were really bumpy. Lying on a bed was not that good idea. Some other travellers around me already got sick, but my stomach was strong.

At about 2pm we made a break for lunch I  Oudamaxi. There I had noodle soup again, but as well bought some interesting new stuff to eat.

It is some kind of sweet sticky rice filled in a leaf.

Well it was really tasty.

So finally after 26 hours bus ride we reached Luang Prabang, where I headed straight to my hostel – happy to have a none moving bed again and a proper shower.