A long and winding road

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I arrived in Luang Nam Tha after what was quite a pleasant bus ride actually. No fancy airconditioned bus, just an old fashioned rattling bus with the windows open, just the way it should be and how I like it.
The ride from Luang Prabang was quite mountainous for the lager part of it. Very spectacular, especially with the rain pounding on the windows for the better part of the day.
At a certain point we all had to get out and help dragging a fallen tree off the road, for the bus to continue.
It took about 9 hours in total, not too bad.

I got some wonderful accomodation, I believe it was 40.000 Kip for what was basically a budget hotel room.
Attached bathroom with hot shower and western toilet, a massive bed and TV!
It would've been a nice town to relax in for a few days, do some trekking or just cycle around the green paddies, but I had to get back to China.

The next morning I left at about 8 in the morning to Boten, the border town with China, which took just 2 hours along the newly build Kunming to Bangkok highway.
At the border I was asked to take some photo's with the border guards and was welcomed into the country like a super star or something. Yeah...I was back in China allright!

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Photos

North Lao countryside...
Stunning scenery!

Thatched house
These 'houses' are everywhere on the side of the road, often perching over the edge looking over the surrounding valleys