Journey to Laos via bus and Chiang-Rai---why not the slow boat?

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We didn't immediately love Chaing-rai, probably because we had just came from magical Pai. It's the grottier version of Chiang-mai, just didn't have the same feel to it. We didn't have much time there so perhaps we aren't it a fair chance. The white temple is definitely a must see, even if you just detour up here to just see it 😊 It's pure white and glittering which is in sharp contrast to the somewhat scary looking bird creatures from Buddhist mythology and the skulls! It's free in which is just beyond amazing, what a stunner of a temple 😊 You need to get a tuk tuk there or get a songtheuw to nearby and walk, cost us 300 baht after some bartering 😊 We hurried on to the bus to Laos, why are they taking an 14 hour bus to Laos you may ask! We heard some unsavory tales of the slowboat, packed to the rafters, crappy accommodation at the stopovers (people even have to bid for rooms as there are so few!), and that you get dropped off not where you want to be and have to pay a tuk tuk to bring you in to Luang Prabang. So, the bus it was! Cost us 950 baht so was the same price as the slow boat but you save on the cost of accommodation. The bus was comfy enough, with seats that reclined for sleeping and blankets for the cold air-con. We also got a snack meal which is always appreciated 😊 The border crossing went pretty easy but we got robbed because we didn't have US dollar. Ironically this is the cheapest option and not paying in the country's own currency (LAK or Kip). The first thing we noticed was just how mountainous Laos is and the iron-rich super red soil 😊 The second thing was a convoy of trucks! (I'm talking 50 to 60 trucks parked up on the narrow enough road, on either side! Our bus driver looked around 16 but he was undeterred by the madness, we squeezed by by the skin of our teeth at one point and were lucky not to go down into a hole! The whole bus clapped for the driver after this 😊 We stopped off at a shop but there wasn't much option for dinner and no coffee (raging!). We got cheap rolls and dear crisps (our first sign that Laos is not as cheap as Thailand). We arrived in the wee hours of the morning into Luang Prabang bus station, more on this next time 😊



#spudstobananapancakes xx

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