I wander around (backpack and all) for a few minutes and - sure enough - I soon spy a terminal that says ‘First Bridge’. No-one speaks much English but the driver manages to communicate with me, in a haphazard way, that this vehicle is, indeed, setting off the border, in about 25 minutes…and for the princely sum of just under $1 I can hop aboard. Hop aboard I do and get out my book as the bus slowly fills up. I’ve been told that plenty of people in Laos have visas that allow them to cross this border easily (relatives on the other side or perhaps work contracts?) and by the time we pull out of the station, it’s pretty crowded...

It’s a beautiful spot, surrounded by limestone mountains, dense forests, caves and a lagoon, rice fields and picturesque views that will make you sigh.   For those who love the outdoors, you could really settle in for a while - lush greenery, hiking paths, the Tham Pu Kham (‘Blue Lagoon’) cave with its reclining Buddha inside, taking a pricy ride up in a balloon at sunrise or, as I did, hiking a mountain trail one morning and kayaking down the river the next afternoon. ..

The station itself is enormous, modern, glittering, all glass and Chinese platform attendants (all donning masks) who - 15 minutes before your allotted departure - direct you to your assigned seat.  The train’s exterior is glossy, with tinted windows and in some odd ways it reminds me of journeying by Eurostar from London to Paris, save for the faint smell of damp in my carriage! The doors slide shut, automatically, 30 seconds before departure and, bang on time, we’re off...

Unlike yesterday, this day passes agonisingly slowly.  My back aches and the seat is uncomfortable.  It’s blisteringly hot outside and the humidity must be over 70%...there’s a little breeze but not enough.  All of the elan of yesterday is gone, especially because we’re stopping constantly to let locals jump on and off.  I offer the seat next to me - in the next few hours - to an old man, a young woman with a baby,  and then a teenager who proceeds to call his friend over.  The two of them plonk themselves down inone space and are soon spilling over into mine…

There are two kinds of seats on our boat - ‘luxurious’ padded and ‘hot polo’ wooden bench. I’ve lucked out and got one in the first category. They’ve been ripped out of big vans and they’re not just comfy but roomy- I can even stretch my legs out! All of our bags are placed in the hold and I also see locals loading their belongings onto the roof. At the front of the boat I spy a portly Buddhist monk in his 50’s, with three children, all in their saffron robes, next to him…