Crossing the border
Trip Start
Feb 06, 2006
1
5
17
Trip End
Mar 06, 2006
Houei Xai,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Friday, February 10, 2006
Again waiting a bit to get out of Chiang Mai, but the ride turned out a lot smoother than what we were afraid of, and we were just able to enter Laos before the immigration office closed at six o'clock. We needed two buses to get there and then a ferry. The first bus was a air-con bus, with service of food and drinks on the way(!) and then a high quality japanese fighting movie, including lot of magic. The second bus was more primitive, and the "ferry" was a small boat.
Great, we had now entered Laos to Houei Xai. Found a nice hotel (clean and tidy with towels, own hot shower for 4 dollars), and went out for a stroll, seeing the local wat on a hill top, getting a nice view over the Mekong. A young monk hurried after us to practise his English. Had dinner at a small local restaurant, where especially the desert was delicious, sticky rice with mango and coconut milk. It was great!
In the morning we hiked around the village trying to find the morning market with the help of our lao phrasebook. The tribe people from surrounding villages come and sell fruits at the market - no shopping this time.
