LAOS
On Friday, August 7, 2026, we continued our journey from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Vientiane, Laos, by bus. Fortunately, we took a sleeper bus, so we didn't get sore during the 23-hour trip—yes, a 23-hour journey. The story begins with us tidying up at our accommodation in Vietnam and taking a shuttle to the bus terminal. We waited there until 3:00 PM, using the time for a briefing, before finally boarding our bus.
We had two sleeper buses; naturally, not everyone on board was Indonesian, so we had to be mindful of our manners and noise levels to avoid disturbing others. I had prepared several movies to watch during the trip—fortunately, enough to last the full 23 hours—and also downloaded offline games, so I didn't get too bored. As for the laptop battery, mine charges via USB-C, and the bus provided C-to-C ports, so I spent the journey watching movies and gaming. I also frequently chatted with my friends; we often gathered on the floor or on each other's bunks. Did we disturb anyone? We occupied the back section of the bus, turning it into our "basecamp." If someone needed to get to the restroom, they could pass through our friends' sleeping areas, so we didn't really get in anyone's way—though we did have to remind each other to keep our voices down when we got a bit too loud.
Of course, a journey that long involves stops at rest areas. We stopped four times in total: first in Vietnam, then at the land border crossing, and finally twice in Laos for meals—though we didn't actually buy anything since we didn't have any Lao currency yet. After all those stops, we arrived in Laos at midnight.
From there, we took the bus part of the way and then walked to our accommodation, as the bus was too large to enter the residential complex. Since it was late, we immediately got ready for bed, and the next morning, we went about our usual routine—prayers, *dhikr* (remembrance of God), and so on.
Actually, during the first week, we didn't go out to explore far afield; our time was mostly taken up by study activities, and we only ventured out in the evenings to grab snacks at 7-Eleven. On Monday of our second week, we attended the August 17th Independence Day ceremony at the Indonesian Embassy in Laos. It was a lively event where we met other Indonesians and were hosted by the embassy staff; there were plenty of fun activities. Afterward, we met up with the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) in Laos at Patuxay Park—walking there from the embassy and taking photos along the way. From there, we visited Pha That Luang to look around and shop for souvenirs, then headed to Parkson Mall to stroll and have dinner. We also visited the night market, which stayed open until 9 PM; it featured stalls selling clothes, souvenirs, and street food, as well as an area for games—much like the night markets back in Indonesia. Once we finished at the night market, we returned to our accommodation to rest.
Following that city tour, we had no further scheduled activities in Laos; the remaining days were dedicated to learning activities and writing. Finally, on our last day in Laos, we packed our bags and set off for Thailand.