The World's wiggliest road was traversed by bus today, on a journey of 230 km that should have taken 5 hours but actually took 8. The road was not too bad (Highway 13, reputedly the fastest road link between Bangkok and China and metalled all the way) but the bus kept losing power and stopping on the uphill stretches. Someone would jump out, fiddle with the engine until it fired up again and off we went. This happened about 30 times.

It was a VIP bus, the most expensive option ($13), with aircon and terrible Thai pop videos that were mercifully switched off for most of the journey (the sort where the band look like they want to be in The Clash but are playing wimpy teen-pop karaoke that's about as rebellious as vanilla ice cream). Although several of the cheaper buses were due to set off soon after us, we were never overtaken so I can only assume they took even longer.

The scenery was spectacular, similar to the foothills of the Himalaya in Nepal but much less densely inhabited and no terraces on the hillsides. Some of the poorest people I've seen in Asia, or indeed anywhere, were living in bamboo huts by the side of the road. They looked healthy enough, and certainly aren't bothered by heavy traffic problems. As we neared Veng Viang, dozens of pointy limestone peaks came into view. This is the karst landscape full of caves for which the town is slightly famous - looks a bit like the pics I've seen of Yangshuo in China.

Veng Viang is backpacker central, more so than Luang Prabang because it doesn't have an airport (except the disused Lima 29 that the CIA built) or the same type of sightseer-tourist draws. But not a chainstore, chain-restaurant or high-rise building in sight, and the cheapest place I've ever been. But we won't go into that - it's the most boring topic under the sun. The most successful backpacker is the one having the most fun, not the one saving the most money.