We left chiang mai on the Monday morning regretfully and sorrowfully leaving becca, with whom we travelled for a week. It's funny how time elongates itself out here. A week with someone is far longer than it sounds- all 1/4200th of my expected lifetime- it really is enough to really get to know someone.
We took the minibus to huay xai after getting some incredible advice from a travel agent from a hostel around the corner from julies, the name of which I can't remember. The bus ride was quite uneventful except for a "spontaneous" stop at a cashew nut factory, which provided a weird amount cashew nuts, it deserves merit for the effort- but honestly does anyone like cashew nuts that much?? The cross over to Laos was also pretty straightforward. Huay xai is a pretty uneventful town, after a climb up to the local stupa and a brief look around town we resided to the fact that there is probably nothing here but food. But the reason I'm writing about this uneventful passthrough town is that we met Ryan that evening and enjoyed a Beer Lao with his company for the first time in what was going to be a week travelling together:
I think one of the most notable features of Ryan has to be his desire for global domination in travelling. We had very similar itinerary plans to head north to phongsali- one of the most remote cities in Laos and 25 hours out of the way of the natural tourist trail. We spent nights in Luang Namtha and udomxai in order to get to our chosen destination. Luang Namtha was nice. At the night market the locals gave us (although Rosie refused) very large shots of whisky and shouted distorted Laos versions of football chants. It was hilarious and I will always like Luang Namtha for maybe just only that. Udomxai was a bit of shithole really. There was a Laos party hall that went to the hours of the morning- Line dancing is really popular in Laos, we really wanted to join in. But for fear of mob violence, a very possible result to our bangin moves, we avoided it.
