Country: Laos
Date: 30 Jan 2010
I love New Country Day. New currency, new flags, new languages, new people.
Laos has been on my radar for a few years but I have never managed to fit it into my schedule. I was in Cambodia and Vietnam in 2005 and heard passing travellers tales of Laos, and I knew I would have to go as well.
I arrived in Laos from Chiang Khong in Thailand. From Chiang Khong it’s a short boat ride across the Mekong to Huay Xai, Laos. I figured this would be the best place to enter by land as it would involve the least amount of backtracking.
For a border town Huay Xai is not so bad. Border towns are usually unremarkable places of hustle. Maybe it was the lack of hustle and “New Country Day” that made it enjoyable. Lao people are known for their laid back attitude. Here I wasn’t asked once if I wanted a tuk-tuk or any other commercial offer.
Wat Chome Hhaou Manirain Mekong View – Huay Xai
There are loads of guesthouses and tourist related shops in Huay Xai. The town is handy launching pad into Laos with riverboats and buses. It’s from here I go to Luang Prabang.
