Yeah Rich, 'notorious spot . always has been ^^
i crossed right there in late '75 (but it was only pot)


true story

Laos to Nong Khai with a bit of pot ? ,,,,I reckon pretty much every backpacker that crossed that way in the last 50 years or so .

WillieW wrote: ↑Fri Oct 29, 2021 5:51 pm Laos to Nong Khai with a bit of pot ? ,,,,I reckon pretty much every backpacker that crossed that way in the last 50 years or so .

Your definition of "a bit" may differ considerably to our SternAAlbifon's back in the day.

I was lucky with my (puny) 3000 finest sticks - possible the very last to taken out of Loas by a white man for a number of years. lol.
1. i got searched by the recently victorious Pathet Lao leaving one side of the river.
2. then by the Thais on the other side - very edgy, given the time. (Two year max sentence in Thailand then, i think, the year after was it upped to Death penalty, or Life.)
3. Three very scary roadbock walkthru's by Thai commandos on the night bus ride back to Bangkok.
4. Leaving Bangkok airport - they thoroughly searched every departees bags back in those days.
5. Ambushed -with a totally unplanned stop over in death sentence KL Malaysia. (ffs, i would NEVer have planned that)
6. Arriving at empty Jakarta airport with about only 6 people off the plane at midnight and having to chat with the Customs boss for 20 minutes while the luggage came thru. (only 10 yr max in Indo back then, but probably only do 2)
7. I better not tell you the last part - but the sticks got home. via Bali.


NB
Obviously i don't give a flying flock about talking about these events 46 years down the track.
similarly about about bullshitting or grandstanding. I just want to tell a few stories from the 'good old days' that i have previously only shared with a few. It's history.

Number 7, an expat whom I met in Koh Kong some years ago showed me how to make a first class oil from local greenery, it ended up being added to a bar of very dark chocolate. He made it purely for medical reasons, being that he had cancer, unfortunately no cure, but the oil was a good painkiller. I accompanied some of his other friends, and his Khmer family last, actually being that of his final send off at the local pagoda.
Before his passing we would sit out on his patio, talking about life in general and travels we had both made over the years. We both had a common interest in sailing boats. That's when number 7 cropped up in conversation. He was heading in a different direction, back home via the Red Sea and the Suez. He had already traveled a long distance, stopping mainly for food supplies and a good look over his 40' sailing boat in Karachi City, Sindh, Pakistan. Where he would find himself under arrest, and serving a prison sentence of 2 year's for carrying 14kg of the finest marajna from SE Asia on his single handed sailing vessel. He told me never again, because it was 2 year's of pure hell.

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Fri Oct 29, 2021 8:48 pm ahhhh, dope story time

That is a rather shallow take on one of the pivital aspects of our generation's history in SEA, Richard - particularly for someone who was there himself.
Most of us who were there managed to squeeze a bit more meaning and impact into it than that. Not to mention some rip roaring tales.

"Record Hauls!!" and "but the drug trade never stops" homilies are probably much more riveting for our readership these days... i guess.

SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Sat Oct 30, 2021 12:05 am
Most of us who were there managed to squeeze a bit more meaning and impact into it than that. Not to mention some rip roaring tales.

Okay, boomer.

Railroad wrote: ↑Sat Oct 30, 2021 10:56 am

SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Sat Oct 30, 2021 12:05 am
Most of us who were there managed to squeeze a bit more meaning and impact into it than that. Not to mention some rip roaring tales.

Okay, boomer.

I bow and retreat .. in awe, Professor Rails
Your academic work on minor busts of small sachets of factory produced chemicals within the chinese community in Shitsville is so "cutting edge".
I am humbled.

lol

and i'll have a joint rolled by an old Master (me) - you can have the strawberry vape.