Solo Overland Backpacking Trip to Thailand and Laos – Part 27: Time to Bid Goodbye

Previously: Part 26: Mamak Fried Rice

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Still Day 7: Sunday, 1 September 2013

After breakfast, I went back to the guesthouse to check out and to put my backpack at the luggage area. I had promised Martin and Emma that I would meet them at their guesthouse to bid goodbye as I will be going back to Thailand this evening while they will be furthering their journey to the south-eastern part of Laos.

Definitely one of the strictest guesthouses around. The same message but with 3 different versions.

Lepas sarapan, aku pulang ke guesthouse untuk check-out dan untuk letak backpack aku kat tempat simpan beg. Tak kuasa aku nak bawak beg berat tu jalan-jalan pusing Vientiane dengan masa yang masih bersisa, Lagipun, aku dah janji nak jumpa Martin dan Emma kat guesthouse diorang pagi ni. Aku nak balik ke Thailand dan diorang pulak nak teruskan perjalanan ke tenggara Laos.

With Martin and Emma. (Tangan saya kat beg Emma ya, jangan tuduh lain pulak! Haha)

When I reached their guesthouse, they have been waiting for me. We talked for several minutes and they told me not to forget to visit the National Museum since it was quite awesome. I told them that I will visit the museum as it was part of the plan. After a while, we bid goodbye. It was a hard moment for the three of us. Though we just met, but being strangers in a foreign land with similar interests had bonded us together.

Lao National Culture Hall. Such a vast building. I think this is equivalent to Malaysia’s Istana Budaya.

Sampai je ke guesthouse diorang, diorang dah memang tunggu aku. Kami pun dok sembang dan diorang pesan jangan lupa lawat Muzium Kebangsaan Laos sebab berbaloi lawat muzium tu. Aku cakap memang aku ada rancangan nak lawat, jadi kalau tak ada halangan akan aku lawat. Lepas sembang punya sembang, kami pun berpisah. Agak sukar sebenarnya masa nak berpisah sebab kami sama-sama traveller asing di bumi asing. Lepas dah kenal, nak kena berpisah, memang payah. Tapi, adatlah bila mengembara macam ni.

The facade of the National Museum. It really looks old.

After we bid farewell, I did some walking tour around Vientiane. I referred to the signboard and the map that I have and I walked towards the National Museum. Unfortunately, the museum was closed.

National Museum – Closed

Lepas ucap selamat jalan, aku pun jalan-jalan sekitar Vientiane. Tengok signboard, tengok peta untuk ke Muzium Kebangsaan. Elok je aku sampai, Muzium tutup lah pulak!

When you found friends during your travels, was it hard to say goodbye?

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To be continued – Part 28

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Lao National Museum is situated opposite the Cultural Hall and is housed in a former French residence building.