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Just a two night stay in Chiang Mai before we set off to the border to renew our visas. Back to Mad Dogs for
Breakfast then chill out for the day before dinner and walk around the markets which I love and can't wait to go back and buy everything. We decided to get rid of some of our clothes that we was carrying around and not wearing so put them all in a ruck sack and headed off to Thapae Gate where previously we had seen people sleeping rough. On the way we
saw a young girl and baby begging on the street so we offered her the ruck sack full of clothes. A bit later we saw her in the market with a friend who was sitting breast feeding her baby and begging, they were both laughing and we looked at the girl and saw no sign of the rucksack so god knows what she did with it, probably looked at the clothes and thought I'm not wearing that Moonson crap.
Up early and feeling nervous about our next journey to Chiang Khon we checked into a lovely little guest house by the river and fortunately the owner could speak good English. We asked her questions about the border crossing which she was very knowledgeable about. We knew we had to get some passport photos taken and asked if there was anywhere we could go, she advised us of a couple of shops on the main street so we headed there. We found a little shop and asked about having passport photos taken, the woman pointed to a mirror with a light above the top, and walked behind a partition, I thought it was some 2 way mirror so i told Lee to stand there when the woman walked around the other side. What we didn't realise she was pointing at the mirror if we wanted to do our hair or maybe touch up my make up, and behind the partition was a chair with the camera. We felt right a pair of plonkers, standing in front of the mirror waiting to have our photo taken, but we laughed about it for ages. We then walked up to the border to check it out and find out what we needed to do. So feeling relaxed about knowing where to go the next morning we sat in a little bar and had a really cheap and tasty meal.
We got up early to get to the border for when it opened at 8, passport stamped, then we was off for our short crossing across Mighty Mekong River into Laos, it took about 5 minutes to cross from one country to another. Then it was chaos over the other side everyone just gathering at immigration/passport control, no instructions what to do, any way did manage to get our visa and passport stamped next step was to find out how to book a ticket for our 2 day, 1 night cruise to Lounaprabang. We walked up the hill from the border point and there was plenty of stalls selling tickets so all booked we went and had breakfast and returned to the ticket office for our lift to the boat where firstly we was dropped off at a shop/cafe which presumably was all owned by the same tour company and was asked to buy food,drink and accommodation in Pakbeng. This part was where we heard and read stories about over crowded boats, a big rush at the other side to book a guest house. So after chatting to another couple who heard the same stories we looked at the pictures of the guest house and booked it for 300 bht (£6). The cafe owner had taken our passport and had gone to the pier for tickets which had seat numbers on but we was not sitting next to each other, we we wasn't happy about this as this was one of the reasons we got up early for the crossing so we took our bags and tickets and walked down to the boat, we got on the boat and found the numbers were just bits if paper put on seats which were just old seats taken from coaches, cars and some were just benches which turned out to be our seats. We asked if we could sit together and a girl just swapped the numbers around. We noticed as more people were getting on the boat they were swapping the numbers around for better seats at the back of the boat. The boat didnt seem very full and a Thai guy from a tour came on and was chatting about the trip how long it was going to take etc. He then mentioned the seating and that a tour bus was due in any moment and if we wanted to change our seats we could just swap the tickets around and do it before they got on. So those of us that didn't have good seats got up and chose decent ones further back on the boat. Then it was chaos the tour bus arrived they got on with their tickets looking for their seat nos which by now were just jumbled all over boat. It soon settled down and they all just sat anywhere, so glad that wasn't us.
The journey to Pakbeng along the Mekong River took 7 hours but was just beautiful the scenery was just breathtaking you just didn't want to put the camera away in case you missed something. The boat was full of young backpackers and there was good atmosphere everyone chatting to people they has just met.
So 7 hours later and nearly dark we arrived at Pakbeng and what at contrast that was for us, can't really explain how different it was from Thailand. It was like time had still stood in a small village on the banks of the Mekong where their income was from the daily boat that arrived with backpackers. We got off the boat onto a steep hill which was exactly as it says in the reviews just chaos with the locals wanting you stay in their guest house. We was relived when we saw the name of our guest house and a truck to pick us up. We climbed in whilst we watched everyone struggle up the hill with their back packs and felt quite smug that we a had lift. This didnt last long though we set of with a truck full of backpackers and arrived at the guest house, I got off first and was given our key and was pointed to where our room was. It didn't look anything like the picture, we opened the door to a room that looked like a prison cell, there was no lighting and a horrible smell. There was lots of shouting going on so I nipped down and swapped the key off the table for another room that looked a bit better at the end of the corridor, it was ok but we didn't think we could stay there. We went back to where all the guests were kicking off and they were shouting and complaining there was no electricity in rooms. The owner was saying he will fix it and was asking everyone to have a drink and something to eat in his resturant. Obviously a ploy for people to spend money when they think he is sorting out the lightening. We then walked out onto the road and I had written down the name of some guest houses that had been recommended on trip advisor. We found one and went to look at the room, wot a relief it was bigger, had two single beds, a fan and ok bathroom, nothing luxurious by any means but so much better than the other place and cheaper only 200bht (£4). So we went back to the guest house where everyone was still arguing, picked up our bags, threw our key back and set off to the other guest house. We wanted a shower and noticed there were no towels so we asked the owner for towels, he returned with what looked like big nappies with holes in them, there are times when you just don't know whether to laugh or cry. We then decided to go and get something to eat and had a tasty meal, short walk around the village and off to bed. Think we was so exhausted we slept really well.
We chatted the evening before with the owner and ordered our breakfast and some sandwiches to take on the boat as was we wanted to leave early. So up early we went and had our breakfast given to us by the owners wife. There was a guy in there sitting and smoking and he started chatting to us he spoke really good English and I noticed on his T.shirt he was from a tour company, Lee was asking him strange questions and i realised that he thought this was the owner we was chatting to the previous night, before I got a chance to say to lee he was a different guy he starting telling him how we wanted to get down to the boat early and could we have our sandwiches as we wanted to leave now. I was killing myself laughing as this guy hadn't got a clue what lee was on about, it was only when the owner walked into the room that realised he was talking to the wrong guy,it was so funny, I keep reminding him every now and then when he takes the micky out of me for doing something daft.
The boat was different from before and the seating much better but didn't look as though there was as much seat so we settled into ours and had about 30 minutes before the boat left so Lee nipped back up the the village and got us a coffee and pastry from a bakery we spotted the night before. Slowly people from the day before getting on the boat and it was clear that there was not going to be enough seats. This again was where we heard and read stories that you can end up sitting in the engine room. As time was passing and more people were getting on they started moving chairs from another boat and putting them in engine room, so the stories were true, if you didn't get on early enough that was where you ended up. This was 9 hour journey and I think I would have cried if we ended up in the engine room. Lee got up and spoke to the couple we met in Houay Xai and asked them about their room and did they stay at the guest house, they hadn't got a clue what Lee was talking about as it turned out their guest house was completely different to the one we was taken too so we was well and truly conned. Fortunately as the rooms were so cheap we was able to walk away from it. So after a very long 9 hour journey, again with the most spectacular scenery we arrived in Louangphrabang.
Will post a few photos of this journey on Facebook until I get the hang of posting them onto the blog.
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