Chiang Rai ➡️ Huay Xai

Arrived in Laos today!
I had a 5am pickup from my hostel this morning which wasn't the most fun. Went to 7/11 which amazingly is open 24hrs to grab breakfast and loads of snacks. Was absolutely devastated when I bit into one of my toasties at 4.30am to find in my sleepy haze I had accidentally bought cheese and sausage instead of cheese! Was a tragedy.
The minibus took just under 7 hours to the border where we arrived just before it opened at 7. Breezed through passport control then had to wait around and hop on another bus for a 5 minute ride over the 'friendship bridge'. Which one one side has immaculate Thai flags on one side and tattered Laos flags on the other, as soon as we got into Laos too the roads were a lot bumpier.
We then had to faff about filling in forms for visas, which were $40, so my emergency American dollars already came in great use! We got bundled into trucks, and then driven to the ferry terminal at Huay Xia.
We got a free sandwich on arrival to take on the bait with us, the vegetation option much to my disappointment seemed to just be salad and mayonnaise in a baguette :(Leggi altro