📅 22nd September 2025 📍Friendship Bridge No. 4

Crossing Laos: Mud, Mountains, and Everyday Ingenuity

Our passage through Laos was an abrupt departure from the predictability and polish of China. After four weeks of mostly seamless motorway, the crossing brought us into an altogether different world—Laos, a country where scarcity and ingenuity walk hand in hand.

The first fifty kilometres were a real trial. Recent torrential rains had left the road flooded and caked in heavy mud, with deep potholes everywhere. The ID. Buzz took a beating, but persevered; every bump was a reminder of this land’s resilience.

Once past those initial challenges, we continued along National Road 3, heading westward towards the Friendship Bridge Number 4. This route wound ceaselessly through the hills and valleys of one of the country’s poorest regions. Homes stood bravely on stilts, their simple architecture shaped by a landscape that alternates between deluge and drought.

Roadside shops, little more than wooden shacks, offered a welcome break; here, I enjoyed moments of rest and curiosity. One highlight: a car cobbled together from two motorbikes, with its gearshift right in the middle—resourceful, eccentric, and utterly unique.

In the evening, I reached the Thai border and crossed it the next day. However, some formalities still need to be completed in Thailand to ensure that I and the vehicle have entered Thailand correctly.

Next stop: Bangkok