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Our first night in Laos wasn't a great experience to say the least. The hostel Kounsavan Guest House which was a place a girl of the boat trip had recommended (and was rated 85 percent on hostelworld) turned out to be the worst place we'd stayed in yet. It didn't have anything much on the same road, it wasn't clear where the reception desk was when we arrived as it was in a rectangular room where loads of people were just sat around tables drinking (and it also seemed to be the dining area), which I felt just looked a bit prison-like. The receptionist didn't really know what was going on and was more interested in her phone than checking us in, and after showing us to our 4 bunk bed cell-like box room, she failed to mention the toilet and showering area weren't in the room but back down the stairs and down a corridor in a type of communal washing area, and failed to mention what the situation was with towels (which you had to pay extra for). At this point Lauren and I don't care if the place does have swimming pool and vow to never return. We got an ealy night (the wifi was also hopeless) as we were being picked up the next day at 8am for the 2 day slow boat to head north to Huay Xai where the Gibbon experience is. Unfortunately I barely slept as I think the rest of the hostel were all pre-drinking and going out and then returned for after partying (all the bars here close around 11.30/12pm). Our room also had a hole cut out of the corner of it where we appeared to be sharing an air con machine with next door. This also meant when next door (sounded like a mixed group from the Netherlands) returned from their night out I could hear everything, and well ended up having to be the annoying girl that knocked on the door (sleeping mask still on head) to ask them to keep the noise down pointing to the hole that we were sharing. Thankfully they were understanding and 10 minutes later the group moved down to the garden area and I tried to get back to sleep.
In the morning, there was one bloke trying to work reception as well as cook breakfast for 12 people. Lauren's pancake wasn't cooked properly and our Tuk Tuk pickup was late. We arrived at the slow boat set-off point and again a mess up from reception, the lady had said we didn't need to pay for the Tuk Tuk and he was asking us for 50,000 kip (around 5 GBP not the end of the world like the 40 quid each we got ripped off with in Vietnam) which I later read in lonely planet should have only been 20,000 so nothing yet impressing us in Laos.
We get on the slow boat and it sets off. Little did we know at this point was that we were stuck on here for 9 hours. I thought it was going to be a 4 hour ride - I don't know where I got that from… but we had got on unprepared with no snacks and only pot noodles and crisps to choose from on board with no stop off. I wouldn't have minded if there was even a place to sit in the sunshine, but it was a sort of enclosed-type canal boat. It was nice to be able to relax and watch the scenery of the Mekong River, but by the time we were able to get off we were both relieved.
The stop off point was at Pak Beng, where you got attacked as soon as you stepped off the boat by the local Laos people wanting your business. We decided to follow two older ladies and another young couple to the hostel they were heading to, so we would feel safer and know someone else there. The place itself was small with one main strip of shops and restaurants and not much else around. We dropped our bags in the room (which was 60,000 kip, no air con or breakfast like we were used to getting for that value in Vietnam), and we are realizing at this point that food in Laos is also more expensive than what we were used to paying in Vietnam.
Anyway, after we'd checked in, Lauren pointed out to me that while I was out of the room one of the hostel staff had offered to sell her Opium and Cannabis, and I had remembered reading something in Lonely planet about how there were a lot of drugs floating around the area which had got shut down back in 2009, but obviously some still seems to go on. We didn't want to stick around so asked the other young couple if we could walk with them down the road to the main strip to find somewhere to eat. Lauren and I found a nice Indian restaurant and treated ourselves to a curry, it wasn't as nice as the one I'd had back in Nha Trang, but it was more satisfying than a pot noodle. We picked up a couple of pastries to take on the boat for the next long day and had half a beer back in the bar. That night when I called the boyfriend even though I was only 100 meters from the room and was probably safe in the bar area, after the dodgy drug offering I wore my running trainers and a whistle for full security. I then realized it was a bit unnecessary as there were still a group of young travelers up drinking and around but better to be prepared!
We rushed to get back on the slow boat in the morning and the wifi had gone down in the night so I was annoyed to find I couldn't message my friend Nicole whose Dad's funeral was going to be happening. I was then also annoyed to find the pastries I'd spend 4 quid on had been invaded by ants in the night so I was to spend another day consuming pot noodles and crisps, but I got a good way through my book and had a lot of time to think and had mixed emotions about not being able to be at home for my friend.
The day was another long one, and we were boat-phobic by the time we got off and arrived in Huay Xai which at this point was around 6.30pm. We walked up a long road panicking that we weren't going to get to the Gibbon Experience in time (they had sent an email to say you need to be there the day before), but we got there on time and randomly picked a hostel that was next door.
I was happy to be able to message Nicole, and felt sad I couldn't be there, but at the same time knew she'd have all the support of what I was told after was a packed-out room for his send off. I had a nice chicken burger, we chatted to two Russian girls, a girl Kelly from the UK, one guy who I'm not sure where he was from as I didn't really speak to him and a Vietnamese guy (they seemed to be talking about a business the Vietnamese guy had set up running his own trips of Kayaking in the area). The hostel was decent enough compared to the last few nights, although I've been having cold showers more regularly at this point with hot water not working, and we went to sleep unsure of what to expect from the Gibbon Experience the following morning.
- comments
Auntie loz oh bless ya hun cant get any worse think positive xxxx
Doreen Thomson Blowing hell sounds like a bit rough and ready place'! .. Didn't realise it was quite so bad .. It least you both stillage the. Best of things ❤️Xxx
Rob Thomson Enjoying your blog reports, particularly when you have your "Kirsty moments"! Keep safe & enjoy only 52 days before to go before we see you! all my love Papa Bear xxx