JK - We crossed the border in to Laos from a station called Huay Xai. A small boat carried us over the Mekong from Thailand to Laos. Passport control on Laos was nothing more than a small complex of sheds, one where you hand your passport in, on where you collect and pay and one where you could change money in to Kip. There were many people milling around from all over the world yet it still felt like we were doing something relatively new. Laos has only been opened to tourists for 12 years and so it still has a slight untouched and unspoilt air about it. This is a good thing and the moment we stepped on the Laos side, everything felt different and more relaxed.
A small tuk-tuk ride took us to our slow boat and our trip down the Mekong. On first impressions Laos is everything I hoped for, and it is truly stunning.
The boat ride took us through some fabulous scenery with Thailand on side and Laos on the other. There was a definite difference between the two countries with Laos the more mountainous. After a while our boat left Thailand and Laos was on both sides. The river wound its way through lush green mountains dotted with hilltop villages and along the river the occasional fisherman, buffalo and Laotian panning for gold.
We were taken to a small village - about 300 people - by our Lao guide. A beautiful place untouched (so far) with any western influences (apart from the odd satellite dish). While I felt a little uncomfortable going there to visit what was a 'tourist attraction' I wouldn't have missed the experience. The peaceful and relaxed way of life put my own in London to perspective. The highland Lao people tend to worship the phi (spirit) which is why we couldn't take photos of the older villagers, however the younger ones were more than happy as long as you showed them the photos afterwards! It was a magical place and I hope that the area can remain untouched as much as possible, although it appears as though there is a lot of Chinese investment coming their way.
We returned to the boat for lunch cooked by the captain's wife. Lots of delicious traditional Lao food. We also all tried a shot of lao-lao, Lao liquor or rice whiskey. Supposedly illegal, many still drink it and it tends to be offered in villages as a welcoming gesture. The journey continued to float its way down to Pak Beng where we will spend the evening.
Pak Beng is a small village that seems to act as a stop off for most of the slow boats travelling down the Mekong. It is therefore quite a bustling little village while still not being overrun with big hotels and bars. The village had building projects everywhere and is clearly going to become an even bigger destination in the near future, but for now there is one bar and has just got an 'ATM' but our guide Zak doubts there is any money in it yet. It is a place that only got electricity about a year ago and so can be without it at any point. This is what rural Laos is now and I am glad we got to see Pak Bang before it becomes somewhere with lots of bars and heaven forbid some western chains. I understand that Laos is heavily dependent on tourism, and so requires development, I just hope it can be done sensitively and without too much damage to its beauty and the beauty of the people.