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As part of the crossing into Laos, we spent one night in a shabby hotel where Morgan had to use his dirty clothes as a barrier between himself and the bed and ants were crawling over breakfast in the morning. It's all part of the experience I guess! We cross the relatively easy but chaotic Chiang Khong to Huay Xia boarder in Northern Thailand into Laos and take the slow boat from Huay Xia to Luang Prabang which chugs down the Mekong River for two days. It didn't take long for the slow boat to turn into a party boat, aided by our first taste of BeerLaos (which consists of 90% of the beer drunk in Laos). 150 travellers stuck on a boat for two days…what else are you going to do but crack out the ukulele and start a group Macarena dance?? I meet lots of cool people on the boat, including a group of South Americans who brought the party with them wherever they go, a lovely rock climbing Canadian couple and a sweet young lady from China. We stop off in Pak Beng where the party continues into the small hours. On the second day of boating, in line with their unending resourcefulness, the Lao staff managed to transform two boats into one. We all watch in amazement as they set up seats in the isles and pack masses of people in the back of the boat next to the engine. There was no space for Macarena dancing and the boat sat worryingly low in the water but we made it to Luang Prabang safely, with enough time to hunt for a bed for the night. What a great way to ease into the Lao pace of life. It's already clear how different Laos is from Thailand.
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