● For full details on our route, transport info, hotel details, etc, look at our Google Maps page

Monday 24 November 2008

Into Laos - Huay Xai

24th November

We crossed the river which constitutes the Thai/Laos border in minutes, and breezed through immigration, encountering none of the expected “fines” or pleas for dollars. Huay Xai is nothing more exciting than the border town it is, unfortunately the earliest buses or boats to other destinations are all cunningly scheduled for the following day, meaning that we and every other traveller has to spend the night there. Every cloud has a silver lining; we met Guy and Jo from East London and feasted on curry from Nazim, a great Indian restaurant - we later found this to be a chain and to feature throughout the whole of Laos.

The usual route from the border is to take the two day slow boat directly to Luang Prabang. To do so misses out some of the more beautiful and untouched parts of the country. We decided to head to Luang Nam Tha in the far north, home to the Nam Ha national park and it’s clouded leopard, elephant, gaur and tigers. We also looked to take in a trek to one of the minority hill tribes. It turned out that Jo and Guy were set to do the same so we agreed to link up and trek together and hopefully force the costs down too.

Until recently the journey between Huay Xai and Luang Nam Tha was possible only by two day boat or an 8 hour bone cruncher of a ride on dirt tracks. Now the road was sealed and a comfortable 3 hour ride was promised.

We were woken by loud banging on our door at 7.15am; someone was telling us that our bus left in 10 minutes. Confused (we weren’t due to leave until 9) we found the mini van outside waiting. Other travellers equally baffled but clearly the driver wanted to get somewhere quick. Just ten minutes out of town we pulled over and the driver took a bundle of papers into a nearby building, leaving us by the side of the road. Around an hour later he returned and found us milling around the roadside like a flock of sheep, having evacuated the van. No explanation was given, but then I guess his English was as good as our Lao. Or maybe, in his eyes, none was needed – after all …this is Laos! After this delay, we were on the road by 9am and heading east.

No comments:

Visitors Since 19th May 2009...