Leaving Laos; life on the slow boat

8:30am i had to be on the boat for a 2 day journey up the Mekong.  Various friends and people i had meet described as cramped noisy and generally the most uncomfortable experience they had had traveling.  One thing i did know was that i was going the opposite way to most of the tourists.  It turned out to be great fun in nearly empty boats that I could stretch out in and enjoy the scenery while cruising through unspoiled wilderness.

Our boat as you can see there was a bit of spare space

A local out fishing just on dusk

One of the many villages we passed on the banks of the Mekong

The family vehicle

Not much else to say about this section really just a great couple of days.  After a couple of days we reached a border town called Huay Xai which was just like every other border town i've ever been to i.e. a bit dodgy dirty dusty and expensive.

When we crossed over the river to Thailand our questions about where immigration to stamp us out of Laos were meet with blank stares so i thought of asking where "check out" of Laos? which was meet with a big grin and pointing down the road to the big sign saying "check out" yet another of these dictionary traslations that isn't quite right.

Kids playing in the water on the river banks

Laos "Check out"

Funny sign i saw on arriving in Thailand

So other than a pretty boring five hour bus ride down to Chang Mai where i saw the above you are pretty well all up to date.  Tonight is the opening ceremony of the Festival of Lights which goes for the next few days then probably onto Paix followed by somehow getting myslef to Hanoi as fast as possible to make use of my Vietnam visa that is currently going unused and is only valid for 30 days.