The internet failed me again and erased everything I wrote.. so again I am frustrated and writing it to the best of my memory...
Our first 2 days in Loas were spent on a slow boat floating down the Mekong River.
Our trip to Laos started at 8:30pm Tuesday, when we embarked on our overnight bus trip to the border at Northern Thailand. It was a SCARY ride! I kept my eyes closed and listened to my book on ipod to keep me from getting out and walking. We finally made it after several 711 stops (yes, there are tons of 711's here, sad).
We took a boat across the Mekong to cross into Laos. We were the first to cross the border into Laos, an honor since we waited for 4 hours until it opened at 8am to do so. We then took a tuk tuk to our SLOW boat... We were so early we were one of the few who got cushioned seating, the rest sat on wooden benches for 8 hrs, OUCH. We made friends with a few travelers on the bus and played cards, learning new Australian card games, to pass the time. We made several stops (not at 711, but small villages along the river). Several times swarms of children boarded the boat trying to sell beers, soft drinks and chips.. it was a bit overwhelming.
Half way there we stopped in PakBeng... a small town with scare electricity. We found a room for $1.50 (one of the nicer ones) it had electicity from 6:30-10pm, powered by a generator.. The cold shower was actually very refreshing. I tried Laos Whiskey, and my heart is still burning 4 days later (not exagerating)
Wednesday morning, we boarded the boat again the next day for another long journey to Luang Probang. This time feeling more refreshed from a night's sleep it was great to relax and read a lot of my book. I took a lot of scenery pictures but I dont think any of them actually capture the beauty of it..
Next stop Luang Probang...
