Day 22 - Which Idiot Lost Their iPhone?

Predictably we had another fitful nights sleep, knowing we had a long journey ahead. We got out of bed at 8am, got ready and then had a medium sized breakfast to give our bowels half a chance.

Over breakfast we chatted with the duty manager about the closure of most of the petrol stations, apparently the price of fuel had doubled in a couple of days. We also learnt that the current Middle East war was having a negative effect even on Laos tourism. Our hotel had already had 5 room bookings cancelled due to flight cancellations.

Before I had finished my breakfast, Jackie had gone off to reception with a fistful of dollars, millions of Kip and a credit card to pay our hotel bill. Apparently the bill had so many zeros that Jackie thinks the bill must’ve been in the billions.

We finished packing and at 10.30am we checked out of the hotel and got into our waiting taxi. The lovely receptionist and the duty manager came out to wave us goodbye. It was only a 20 minute drive to the railway station during which we came across a scooter accident. Two scooters were on their side, one in the middle of the road. Some idiot probably walked out in front of them without looking!

At Luang Prabang railway station, we passed through security without anything being confiscated. Result.

We had just over an hour to drink a can of BeerLao and generally watch the world go by, before we were called out to the platform where our bullet train was already waiting for us. We boarded carriage 10 and sat down in our spacious first class seats 11a and 11c.

The train pulled out of the station and quickly accelerated up to 159kph. A food cart came round and we rather rashly ordered 2 sausages on a stick dipped in spicy powder and a bottle of water. They were lovely and luckily caused us no unnecessary after effects.

The train stopped at Vang Vieng station and there was a mass exodus. At least half the passengers got off, presumably to enjoy a weekend of adventures.

The train raced on and 2 hours and 10 minutes after departing Luang Prabang we arrived in Vientiane Railway Station. We gathered up our belongings (well most of them), headed out to the forecourt and found a Tuk Tuk bus that took us and four others with our luggage into Vientiane. After 2 drop offs in the city centre, we were dropped off at Wattay International Airport. The hour long ride cost us just 150,000 Kip (£4.50) each, now leaving Jackie with a wad of Kip to spend.

We had 5 hours to kill before our flight to Bangkok, so we found a quiet spot and settled in for a relaxed afternoon. Jackie went off shopping and returned with 2 beers and then asked me if I’d got her iPhone. There then began a frantic search through all our hand luggage several times over.

We had last seen her phone when it was on the tray table in front of me on the train. Jackie had put it there, but couldn’t remember doing so and tried to blame me for taking it out of her bag, which was just plain ridiculous. Why would I have? A heated argument ensued.

After accepting we definitely didn’t have it, I rang her number praying the Tuk Tuk driver would answer. It just rang and rang. The next thing was to limit the damage, I went to Find My app and put a message on Jackie’s phone to contact me on my phone number if found. I’m not sure it would work because the phone would be locked and it had no service for my phone to locate it.

The next issue was identifying what information was only on Jackie’s phone that we needed just to get home. The only thing we could think of was our £5 National Express coach tickets, but we were able to obtain a duplicate copy from their website. After satisfying ourselves that there was nothing else we could do now we tried to relax. We didn’t.

I was still a tadge unhappy, because time and time again I have told Jackie to zip up her handbags and rucksacks when she walks around with them gaping open. She gets annoyed and we have an argument.

Spookily, Jackie had spent the whole trip moaning about her iPhone, which is one of my old cast offs, claiming it was not charging quick enough, losing charge too quickly and not being 5G. She had already ready been talking about replacing her phone in a couple of months time. If losing a phone didn’t bring on so much grief sorting things out, I might have suspected she had deliberately lost it.

Jackie ‘relaxed’ by shopping, buying beer, coffee, strange meat baguettes, rice cakes, mini snickers and god knows what else. I tried to read my book. Eventually we were called to board and Jackie nearly left her handbag behind. Just saying!

The flight to Bangkok was quick and as midnight approaches we are waiting to board our next flight.

Song of the Day - Telephone Operator by Pete Shelley.Read more