Numb Bums!

Up early this morning and had breakfast on the guest house's terrace overlooking the Mekong which was lovely. Bought a ticket for the next leg of the journey and prepared for numb bums for the rest of the day (we missed out on the cushions again). Most of the same people were on our boat today and so the ice was broken a bit. Got chatting to a lovely Scottish couple who it turned out were not only going to the same thing we were about to do but had also done pretty much exactly the same route as us thus far from the UK ie trans-sib, china, etc but had done it since last Sept. Talking to them, and a Canadian guy, who wanted to know about the trans-sib whiled away the time a bit more today so it was a lot more enjoyable although by mid-afternoon we were still wondering whether we would ever feel our bums or ever get there. Sure enough 18.30ish we arrived in Huay Xai - Border town Laos/Thailand.

Acrobatic monks washing

Wandered off the boat down the main street here to find accommodation with Kirsty and Hamish (the Scots in case you couldn't guess) to the Sabadee Guesthouse (Hello in Lao) where we got a double room for $4. Then went a few doors down to find 'The Gibbon Experience', where we were going next to find out our joining instructions, etc and for dinner at a restaurant where Dave and I braved our first proper food (chicken and chips - very Laos!!) Very tired again and up again early tomorrow so no doubt Kirsty and Hamish think we are v dull.

Children playing in the river

On the slow boat

View along the Mekong