Why is it that border towns are always the shiftiest of places with scum of the earth people and a general aura of being nigh on impossible to get anything achieved? For some reason I’d thought that finding somewhere to wash a car, get some currency exchanged and get something for dinner would be too easy. But we failed on all 3 fronts. Instead we end up scrubbing BOB down on the main road using the nice old lady at the guest house’s hose pipe whilst the entire village turns out to watch. It takes ages. The muddy roads of Laos have left Bob looking as mucky as a party girl’s feet the morning after the Melbourne Cup (but without the trashiness). Once we’re done, we snaffle down a few more Beer Laos (for old times sake) to drown out the pot noodles and contemplate the trip so far and how much it’s about to change – another border, another country, another person in the car… We know China is going to ratch it up a notch from easy breezy South East Asia – we know the driving is going to be a nightmare, and the toilets are going to be punishing. But it’s time to start bridging the gap from Asia to Europe. There’s a lot of driving to get through. Best get some sleep.