Blogs from Chiang Khong, Northern Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 7

After visiting the amazing Wat Rong Khun, we drove on, eventually arriving in Chiang Khong, to a darling little guesthouse which overlooks the Mekong River, with Laos clearly visible on the other side. With an afternoon of free time, I went walking around the street, then browsing the food being sold on the side of the street. I came across some interesting things. Eels, which were still slithering around in their bucket- I saw one manage to escape into the crab net before being recaptured and replaced. Dead squirrels... something that looks like roadkill for dinner, yum yum. Something that looked like a beehive, but was really full of grubs. It goes on... I had gotten it in my head that something a lady was selling was bamboo sticky rice, which I had had the day ... read more

Hey Everyone - so we booked our bus journey from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong on the boder with Laos. Between the 3 day trek an meeting up with some really cool new travelling buddies I was happy to move on from Chiang Mai, a very friendly and historical city but you can only pass soo many days there so it was time to move on. The 5 (Paul,Ray,Aaron,Sarah) of us got the bus early on Thursday morning, it took about five hours in total to reach Chaing Khong, but the bus was air-conditioned so wasnt so bad. We had already sorted accomodation through bus agency so we got dropped off at guesthouse, threw off rucksacks an had a walk around the town. We walked passed a teepee, yes thats what I said a teepee, ... read more

So after a very fortunate meeting with Marie during our plane ride from Singapore to Bangkok we finally headed up to Chiang Khong to visit the ' Catholic Mission of Wiang Kaen' which has been the highlight of Thailand so far. The warmth we felt from the center and the welcome from Marie and the Sisters and Father Pauls humour kept us laughing all night. So spent 3 days in the orphanage which was excellant and made a massive impression on us as we were n't that impressed with thailand so far - we were far north in the mountains amoungst villages of the Hmong Tribe where I think little westerners would have experienced what we did in the time we where there. The kids at the centre were from a northern tribe called Hmong ... read more

If you've ever traveled before, you know what I mean when I say you get familiar with the way cities and towns are set up in the country you are in. Every shop you go into looks the same as the last, every street looks like one you walked down in days past. Smells are familiar, people you meet are quickly forgotten, and the food all tastes the same. The initial newness and excitement of your surroundings begin to fade, right around the stage I am at right now--the two week point. This is the point the traveler must break free from their rut and decide what their next move is, and quick. Which is why I'm on my way to Laos via a river boat that will take two days to get to the World ... read more

I left KPN around 1 on a car ferry bound for the mainland. The rustbucket had no A/C and so I luckily managed to secure a seat near one of the few fans in the large passenger area. I tried sitting outside for a bit, but the only way to get any airflow was to sit on the top in the blazing sun, so I scratched that. The ride itself was actually pretty quick and the seas were very calm so I was spared the sour stomach. When we reached the mainland they piled us into a bus to Surat Thani, which took an hour or so. Since I had a "joint ticket" (boat, bus) I was expecting to be directly transferred onto the bus that would take me to Bangkok. Apparently, it's not that simple. ... read more