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Laos
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There are more than a few improvised pickups that will give you a ride for less money than the organized busses. sometimes it seems cheaper to go with these pickups as out of 10 hitches, you need to pay 3 of them if you don't make clear in advance that you're looking to travel for free. [rule of thumb: 30-40,000 kip per 100 km for a "hitch", or 10,000 per person (per 30km) for a bus-truck.
Still, if you are determined to hitchhike for free through Laos, it can be done, even in the north (the south is very easy, similar to Thailand). Since almost nobody can speak English, and many of them will expect a payment for the rides, it is essential that you make yourself understood: a [[hitchhiking letter]] may help a lot with that, and will also help you to be helped by the locals in order to find free rides to your destination. Traffic lights are not common, since towns are relatively small. Another way that works well in Laos to make cars stop is to prepare a universal sign that only says "2km". As soon as the car has stopped you can still ask them where exactly they go. It's a great way to get outside of the city or just to get going when you are stuck. People understand spoken "kilomet" and the written shortage "km".
Aside from that, be prepared for the long waits (or walks), have lots of patience and do it mostly for the fun!
