Outta Laos and back to Thailand (oddly sweet relief!)

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Update #3: Laos never got any easier

Laos was one hell of a trip and I am sooo glad that I am not there anymore. For what it had to offer which was pretty scenery and some temples, the travel was simply not worth it. It all started with a 6 hour bus ride from Vientiene to Vang Vieng where we spent 2 days hanging out. From there, we were looking forward to some time in Luang Prabang which is a UNESCO heritage site known for its excellent preservation of its historical monuments. BUT, in
order to get there, we had to take a 10 hour bus ride on a windy hilly road in a supposedly air conditioned bus but of course it wasn't and it was 30 degrees outside. Luang Prabang turned out to be O.K....nothing sensational but there were things to see.

From there, we made our way out of Laos. And THAT'S where the travelling got worse. On our first day, we spent 10 hours on a boat on the Mekong River sitting on wooden planks that were half the size of my butt. We stopped in a small town overnight where we slept
on a BOXSPRING mattress and awoke to the pleasant sound of roosters at 3am cockling until the sun rose. I think that I ate some dirty food in this town because my system has been out of sorts since (and yes, it was a dirty town). Back on the boat again for another 10 hours
(2 hours past the time it should have landed) and we ended up in the border town across from Thailand.

After an overnight stay, we went into Thailand and took an 8 hour bus ride with the pleasant fumes of burning brakes to where we are now, Chiang Mai. Reading this
makes you exhausted, heh???? We were BAGGED! Sooo, for the last few days, we have just been chilling in Chiang Mai which is Thailand's capital of the north. After being in
Laos, my appreciation for Thailand's cleanliness standards have increased like 10 times. Chiang Mai is a cool place, kinda like Vancouver where it is a pretty developed city with nature being a short drive away. We rented a motorbike today and successfully navigated
through crazy traffic to get out of the city whilst wearing our "safety" helmets which are basically baseball batting helmets. More fun times ahead. Our next stop is Cambodia where we will be able to see some of the oldest ruins in the world.

Hope everyone is doing great!!! Until next time, take care!

Kel 😊

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Photos

Boat Ride Scenery- Hill Tribe Family
I was starting to get creative with how I sat to get comfortable. To pass time, I did get some decent photos.

Mid Way Point- Pak Beng
I prefer to remember this town with this picture rather than my tummy troubles.

Chiang Mai Biking Adventure
You do feel vulnerable for a while but then you just follow the flow- thai style driving!

Thai food
This is actually from Bangkok but it's all the same..