Kunming
The train got to Kunming at around 9h00. Getting the bikes cleared out of the
cargo section took forever. Finally, I found a hotel close to the Thai consulate. I
wanted to apply for a Thai visa the following day and Ernest proceeded into the
city. Unfortunately, the Thai visa issued at the border was only valid for two
weeks and afforded insufficient time to get to Malaysia.
Kunming felt like home as I seldom visited a place twice and I sauntered into
town searching for a Laos map, as the plan was to take a different route than the
one followed to China. The search was, however, unsuccessful. Even though a
Lonely Planet was for sale, the book was a little too pricey.
Kunming
In the morning, I sought out the Thai embassy but was told one needed a flight
or bus ticket to apply and that one could get a 30-day visa at the border. I
guessed it was a "wait and see" situation, and armed with this info I bought a
bus ticket on an overnight sleeper to the Laos border.
At the bookstore, I ended up purchasing a South-East Asia Lonely Planet. At least
the book covered the whole of South-East Asia. I also bought a novel as I
reckoned I would need something to read on the long bus ride.