Swiss generosity saves the day!

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  Huay Xai, Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Sunday, March 9, 2008

Arrived in Huay Xai just as the sun was setting over Thailand on the other side of the river.  We could literally see the ATM gleaming at us from the other shore but we had missed the border by 20 minutes (as predicted).  The Western Union in Huay Xai was closed until morning so we were stuck.  Fortunately the friendly guest house owner we passed on our way into town said it would open at 8.00am and we could stay with her for 100 THB.  That was a roof over our heads sorted.  Now the most important challenge of all - dinner!!

We had met a friendly Swiss guy on the boat who we only really got chatting to in the last few hours.  He was staying at our guest house too and, when we'd explained our situation, offered to lend us the cash for dinner.  He was a pretty interesting guy - he was travelling through Thailand and Laos in 6 weeks inbetween finishing Uni and starting a new job.  He seemed pretty well travelled and had sailed a boat from Canada to Spain the previous year with a guy he found on the internet - 4 months, just the 2 of them!  We got an early night and got to the Bank early before it opened - when it did open the guy tried our card several times but after 20 minutes or so the line was still busy so advised us to try the immigration station where there was also a money exchange

Arriving in Houay Xai

.  It was hectic with people who had already crossed from Thailand that morning - the guy had to blow the dust off his PDQ machine and plug it in especially for us but surprise surprise it still wasn't working.  It was getting on for 9am by this time and we were worried that Mattias, the Swiss guy, and our guest house owner would think we had done a runner!  We had little choice but to rely again on Swiss generosity and ask him to pay for our room and our ferry across to Thailand!  He was just walking out the door as we got there(!) and agreed (not that he had much choice!).  Got thru immigration without to much hassle and hopped on a boat for the short ride across the river to Chiang Khong. 

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Misty morning

Misty still

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