‘I’m fine with the plan, I’m okay with the plan, we’re fine with it… I’m happy with the plan!’ Another argument has broken out. This time in Café De Siam. Caligula does not appear happy with the plan. In fact, I’ve just realised that nobody appears very happy except me. Tension is rife. At this point in time, we have just booked our flights from Vientiane – the capital of Laos – to Hanoi. Still over a week down the line it is very much on our minds.
This morning I shovelled more fried eggs and bear pancakes into my mouth at the lovable Bear Hug café. But the Romans were not with me. They stayed out late last night and had a full blown argument while I danced to Ricky Martin in the dorm. I won’t go into it. It involves all the usual suspects: money, to-do lists and differences of opinion. This morning Caesar and Tiberius ate in one restaurant, and Caligula ate alone in another.
Now, no sooner are we all back together and making plans, more arguing has befallen the group. I told the others about my plan to stay behind in Vientiane and I don’t think they were big fans. Caligula and Caesar were reluctantly content to move on without me. Caesar has very limited time and wants to see more of Vietnam. Tiberius however, wants everyone to stick together. I didn’t want to cause further strife so I made a compromise. I shall stay one extra day in Vientiane by myself, then catch up with the others in Vietnam. I’d much prefer to spend longer in the capital of Laos, but if it’s choosing between Laos and Caesar, I’ll choose Caesar.
I felt this was a reasonable compromise, however I believe there is a feeling of unease settling over the group – the feeling that we may be about to crumble. Far worse than the possibility of the group crumbling however, was the fact that my lunch of fried pepper pork was a true pathetic and measly portion. It caused me a good five minutes of distress.
What we all needed was a good shake-up. A change of scenery. We had stayed too long in Chiang Mai. We were messing about. Existing in the city rather than exploring and travelling. On a recommendation from my cousin Gareth, we got the bus to a town called Pai. What could be so special about Pai?
We found out almost as soon as we stepped off the bus. The street was almost as packed with food stalls as it was backpackers. Mushroom spring rolls, seafood gyozas, chicken sticks, falafel, mango rice and pancakes all vied for my attention. Numerous trendy bars were blaring western music, inviting you to bring your street food in with you; tattoo and piercing parlours lurked here and there, as well as wine bars and weed stalls. And overhanging all of this, lay not skyscrapers and smog, but the freshness of a country night sky filled with stars.
Our hostel here is like a tree house. We trekked out to it in the dark – a 15 minute walk from the excitement of the town. Or the village… it was impossible to know or imagine the extent or limit of Pai, for the nightlife buzzing through one single street was our only glimpse into this unexplored territory. The bottom of the street lead us to a bamboo bridge stretching across a small river. Now, it wasn’t like we were crossing the Thames, but the bamboo bridge was creaky as hell – one of the flimsiest bridges I’ve ever been on and I genuinely felt it could have given way at any moment. The floor of our dorm room is not much different. The floor boards make a racket when you walk on them, and they’re so loose you can see right through them to the ground below. There are spiderwebs in the bathroom and the beds are pretty hard. But I reckon I can survive here for two nights. That is, if we don’t all get turned rabid by the dogs. The yowls and howls have been echoing out from all over the place – sounds like our hostel is surrounded…
With me having booked a separate flight from Vientiane, it’s hard not to feel like there’s been a fracture in the group. But the truth is that what happened today was a positive compromise. Far from splitting with the Romans at this early stage, I’ll be reuniting with them in Vietnam. And every extra day we keep the group together is a victory as far as I’m concerned. I’m not made for group travel.
