July 6,

We both woke up around 0300. I was able to go back to sleep around 0430ish until 0600 but Jeff did not. 😒 So we got around leisurely – packing all of our stuff up; having our Javas; and breakfast of muesli, yogurt, and the last of our fruit salad. We left our condo by 0900. Today we leave Thailand. So sad 😢😭and not sure when we will be back. We are going to Laos. It’s going to be our first land border crossing… Since – 2 years ago from Spain to Portugal!

At 0910, our transportation van arrived. We are the first pick-up of ten! We picked up one more person then drove to a gas station for the rest. It was supposed to be 5 minutes, but that turned into 20. At 1020, and now with ten people, we set off. We went on Hwy #118 out of town. At 1105, the rain started, and at 1106 – of course – we stopped and unloaded at a coffee/cafe/gift shop for a 15 minute break. We started out at 1126, after waiting for two people for 3 minutes. There’s always someone late.

Anyway, five minutes down the road, it stopped raining. But it was off and on most of the time. At 1247, we turned onto Hwy #1 and to Chiang Rai. The tour we booked stops at the White Temple – Wat Rong Khun. We arrived here at 1255. Our driver told us… “40 minutes – be back at 1340.” Since we have already been to the temple, we went to Khao Soi Mae Pimpon for lunch. I was glad we had been to the temple already, because it was cloudy and the temple didn’t ‘pop’. We split a Chicken Khao Soi, one rice, one mango smoothie, and a water bottle. It was so delicious! 😋The bill was 150 THB, which is $4.64. We went back to the van, and everyone arrived at the van on time – it can happen!!😂

The driver said we had 1hour and forty minute drive to the border, so we set off. Two people left out of our van – another tour maybe?? Anyway, the driver took #5023 road, then briefly on the #1020 and on to the #1421 – a smaller road that is a short cut. We hit an area having a good downpour. It actually made our driver slow down – some. He drives faster than Jeff, but also feels he owns the road, passes when he wants, and uses all two or three lanes around curves. Thankfully it’s a divided highway, but… Oh my !😮 After a bit the rain stopped again and our driver turned back onto the #1020 road.

Around 1510, we turned onto #1356 road. Finally this road takes us to Chiang Khong Vehicle Border Checkpoint. We were processed out of Thailand and had pictures taken for Laos. Then we waited for another vehicle to take us and others through half a figure eight pattern to cross to the right, correct side of the road. We crossed the Thai-Loa Friendship Bridge #IV, over the very full, fast flowing, albeit- muddy Mekong River. Then we unloaded and went through Laos Border Control and Immigration Office. Our Laotian Tour Guide representative gave us two forms to fill out each (thankfully I can write mostly now). We were all approved and all loaded into another bus.
WELCOME TO LAOS!!!

We drove north a little into the town of Houayxay, arrived and checked into our accommodation, Oudomphone Guesthouse 2. The staff interestingly put a single guy and a single girl in one room… which they oddly were okay with. We unloaded and went out for a light supper and to explore a little. We saw a little road that went down to the river edge so we took it and found My Laos Restaurant. We ordered a “little bit” Spicy Cucumber Salad, and “Chicken Row”- which we think meant Chicken Rolls. Jeff had a Beer Lao and I had a Somersby. Just as we received our food we had to go inside due to a rainshower. It was enjoyable watching the Mekong River, seeing Thailand, and being in Laos. We paid 300,000 LAK (was 269,000, but Jeff did not want to deal with the extra cash). 300,000 Laotian Kip is $13.93. The conversion is getting back to the ridiculousness of Vietnamese Dong!

Anyway, we went back to our hotel, had a bit of chocolate, then blogged/ read. Bed by 2100.