I honestly don’t know what needs to be highlighted within this 8 hours of the absolute friendliest pandemonium known to man. The second we arrive we realize we don’t know what time and but we’re pretty sure our plane leaves in like 8 minutes. We got off the plane to find a squad of very smiley Asian people holding a sign with our names on it. At this point we’re convinced that our hostel in Vietnam has misunderstood our directions and has driven to Bangkok to pick us up. I know this sounds like a ridiculous conclusion to come to but I promise for most third worlds it’s not far fetched idea. So we’re trying to explain that we didn’t need a ride from Thailand while they start walking us all over the airport. Everywhere, up and down escalators to the complete opposite side terminal and through security we have truly no clue but at this point we’ve some what figured out that their not from our hostel. Apparently the airport appointed this special task force for the purpose of making sure we figured out where our connecting flight was. We’re then delivered to a counter where a very sweet lady explains the complete wrong time for us to check in but it’s totally cool in that we understand that if we have a flight that leaves at 1pm we don’t check in 11 hours later at midnight. No big deal. We take a nap in our terminal and come back to find another posse of Thai airport staff assembled to find us and make sure we knew what time we leave.
While checking in with our new friendly airline representative (let me remind that every person you talk with in this country is beyond frantically helpful especially in matters that are not their jurisdiction) he very politely explains that you cannot enter Vietnam without a letter of approval. The letter, of course, has to be received 24 hours before arrival and the next flight will be 4 days out. At this point in our summer Jordan and I have become surprisingly good at the art of not caring at all what happens. We just shrug it off, “Well… the hell with it I guess we’re going to Laos, and by the way how do we get there?” At this time we are appointed a new conglomeration of staff lead by the very small, active and unintelligible worker of god knows what department; who starts leading us in figure eights all over the 3rd and 4th floor while talking into 2 phones and a radio. The whole time we’re trying to intervene and make sure he knows that we’re just trying to take the train. Every time we say train it’s always “Oh yes, yes, yes”. He then comes back with receipts for Lao airlines and tells he spent the $400 out of pocket for the tickets (THAT WE DIDN’T WANT!) and to just pay him back for them. By the way $400 is basically a full months pay in Thailand. We accept because what in the hell else are you supposed to do in this circumstance. So we take the tickets and tip him so he can feed himself the next time his friendly functional retardation gets him into trouble; he's off in a flash and from that whole encounter we still don't know what his name is, or if he really even works at the airport. After his disappearing trick we sit down and realize our names are completely wrong, and we have absolutely no freaking clue where he bought the tickets let alone where he is. All we know is that even shadiest of airlines would not let me on the plane as first name Jacson Last name Jeggrey.
Due to the same rabid friendliness that everyone so far has shown us we get the most amazing girl at a general information desk to taking it upon herself to get our tickets squared away. This poor girl ended up spending the next 45 minutes on the phone back and fourth with us and the operator (who doesn't understand what the problem is) and manages to get this phantom company to correct and fax over the tickets. Facebook buddies!
We board our flight at around 6 to arrive in Monsooning Vientiane, meet our escort that we threw together at the last minute, and start the hour long trip to god knows where in rural Laos.
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