Payback's A B*tch!

Entry 24:
As is customary in SE Asia, we were picked up from our guest house in a minivan to be transferred to a larger bus. Since bus companies in Laos do not assign seats, when we arrived at the bus terminal, Sharon ran onto the bus and placed our backpacks down on two seats. Marc waited outside and the two of us made sure our bigger luggage made it from the minivan to the big bus.

As we boarded the bus, we found our backpacks on the floor of the aisle and a middle-aged couple sitting in our seats. All other seats seemed to be taken. We told the Frenchies that those were our seats and that our packs were already on them. They claimed not to speak English because they were French. The conversation really began heating up when a Laotian woman jumped up in their defense, claiming that there are no assigned seats. The woman kept talking to the French couple, so we assumed she must have been their tour guide. Since the couple refused to move and the other passengers were keeping silent, we picked up our bags and moved to the back of the bus, but could not find two seats together. Apparently, the bus had been oversold and if not for the generosity of the happy-go-lucky drinking Russians, Sharon would have been sitting on the floor. What the French couple failed to realize was that what comes around goes around.

About half way through the 4-hour trip, the bus stopped to allow passengers a bathroom break. Everyone left the bus except for us. We moved to our original seats, lifted up the Frenchies' coats (which were left there to reserve their spots), and deposited them onto the floor. As passengers returned to the bus, Sharon noticed their smiling faces and overheard their positive remarks about us reclaiming our rightful seats. The French couple were among the last ones onboard. They realized what had happened upon their return, and instead of arguing with us, took their newly purchased bottle of water, released the cap, and poured some of the contents on our heads. As they headed to the back to look for seats, a brawl erupted amongst the other passengers because the Laotian tour guide lady was pacing up and down the aisle and making a scene. But soon enough things settled down and we were on our way. The two of us sat in our seats with big smiles on our faces looking forward to the next few days in Vang Vieng.