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Published: August 2nd 2013
Bit late with this one but hey its "laos time".........
Crossed over the water from Chiang khong to huay xai in laos and thru immagration before boarding the slow boat. On a boat with people from over the world and within an hour we are playing the international game of "shithead". Hayley the new yorker reckoned i would be shithead!!..........dont think she banked on me being a shithead card shark......unlucky punk 😉
Cant get more chilled than the pace we was rocking, hence the name slow boat but any faster and you would miss the most amazing scenery laos has to offer. Check out the pics below.
As its a 2 day journey we are dropped off in pakbeng where we all spend the night. Imagine your worst nightmare then treble it!! This was our digs for the night, it was cleaner for me to stay fully dressed and get in my sleepsack and wait for morning......we knew it was gonna be bad from our research but not this bad. On the plus side we saw no rats as big as dogs!!
After barely any sleep we headed down to the pier in the morning readg for
the last day of sailing, then anarchy on the pier began!!!
Again thru research we had read about the "mekong cowboys" and yep, they tried it with our group. All 140 of us!!! Basically they was trying to cram us all onto one boat instead of the two we arrived on the day before. Its a known scam and the cowboys hope we will all pay more money for the second boat which we had already paid for!! Robbing bastards springs to mind.......
Anyway they didnt win, we was a very strong group that stuck together for two hours insisting on the second boat. Eventually they gave in and off we went on two boats at no extra cost!! Shame really as that it most peoples first experience of laos and one that wont be forgotten. Tourism is a new concept here and they have not got that bit quite right......
Day two sail was lovely with the scenery getting more dramatic, such a beautiful country. Adam and a french lady did see a dead body floating down the mekong though.........WTF!
Arrived in luang prabang and it is beautiful and the laos people are not a
bit like the mekong cowboys, they are mild, gentle, smiley and friendly people who genuinely want you to enjoy their country. Dont be put off by the cowboys..............
Peace and love xx
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Claire Ross
non-member comment
Hey Mel and Adam, looks like u are having a fabulous adventure already. Are you going to do the tubing? Or maybe you have already done that. Looking forward to your Cambodia chapters - there is a little piece of my heart in Phnom Phen, love it. When by the lake take some time to watch the fisherman and their ancient fishing techniques. They also seem to do something with birds, a bit like the HSBC advert if I remember rightly... And don't forget in Ho Chi Mhin (sp?) you can ride an ostrich!!!!! Wish I was with you. Enjoy xxx