The Laos trip: Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, Intro

It was a long time plan to visit a bit further into Laos, then to Vientiane, which is only around 30km from the Thai border.
Since due to visa reasons I had to leave Thailand anyway, we decided to make this a family holiday and explore a bit more of Laos. Chose Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang for the trip, though I didn't make big research about the trip, I heard before they are places where you can spend the time and see things. Destination set, had to arrange the trip, at least the getting there part first, as there was no set plan at all.
We chose to buy a ticket to bus via a travel agency on Khao San Road, as they suppose to have cheaper prices, and could send us to Vientiane with no need to use taxis much.
We bought the ticket from ETC ( Educational Travel Center) and as it turned out exactly that was, educational! They were thicket reseller to another company, a common thing. Our son is 6, he still prefer to sit with us, sleep rather in our lap on the bus; a kid still. We bought 2 ticket because of this, as always on buses this far. But made sure, asked them.
The bus left next night, we are there, bag and ready, the people at the bus said that we need a ticket for my son!! Wow, shock rather, as ours was not too cheap neither, and I asked this prior, got the green sign. Some verbal fights, as I felt cheated, and also because I said that I pay, but I will need an actual ticket/receive then, I don't like this sort of pocket monies to pay for scams. Anyway, finally we got onto the bus, and was on the way, but after some bad start.
The estimated time they gave was 13 hours to Vientiane, from Bangkok. A long way, though I believe it can be a bit less. Actually I know, as coming home with different company took much less. Lesson learnt, never again with them!!
We arrived to Vientiane at around 9AM and there got to a local bus to continue the journey to Vang Vieng.
Local bus is a cheap, and sometimes fun way to travel, although a considerable slower way to. But there you can watch locals, if looking out the window inst interesting.
This trip took 5 hours, and it was mostly interesting to look out the window. Soon the bus left the town, the villages started to be smaller, and around 2 hours later we reach the first hills.
The stone/brick homes changed to wooden and bamboo houses mainly, less traffic on the road, and many more potholes. After 3 hours shaking it was real welcome to arrive finally.
We were around 20 hours on the road already, more then enough to travel at once.
Anyway, so much about getting there, and for prologue, then next post will be already about what we did and saw there.