In short, it was three days of boredom, beauty, and eye opening experiences. The journey to Luang Prabang from Chiang Mai is definitely not for the casual traveler, but with some time and lots of patience it proved to be well worth it. The trip from Chiang Mai began with the requisite nine passenger, four-cylinder, cargo van that is stuffed with ten people plus everyone's huge backpacks, and of course it always leave way behind the scheduled time. On top of being packed like sardines, the winding roads and steep hills made for "good times". The scams started immediately upon arrival. Before I knew it, I was paying a few dollars extra to have the travel company arrange for my Laos Visa. No worries, it will save me the hassle so I rationed in my mind. The next scam was that we miraculously were going to arrive at the border AFTER the border crossing was closed. Conveniently enough, we were going to be dropped off at a guest house that was owned by the travel company. Now as you can tell by the pics, this too proved to work out very well, so it seems that the travel company is on a roll. Ah but the wheels soon fall off. The next morning, the border crossing and the visa delivery went off like clock work, but then we hit Laos. The Laos border guards of course want a little extra for their trouble. Fortunately, with a little push back I get off without the extra service fee. Some of my other "friends" were not as lucky. I then make the mistake of converting my Thai Baht into Laos Kip. On top of getting hosed on the exchange rate and commission, it seems that no one wants the Kip so everything is more expensive when you pay in Kip. So far I have had a few "lessons learned" but nothing too major to get worked up about. We make it to the ferry launch, and after many delays, the 35 person ferry that we were promised is now to hold seventy; well OK then. I waddle down to the ferry in the rain of course and successfully cross the one-foot wide, slick, wooden plank without falling into the water and without snapping it in two. Did I mention that the ferry was already full when I boarded? Oh, and there were another 20-30 folks behind me who still needed to board? I am standing in the aisle and mentally preparing myself to have to stand for eight hours going down the Mekong. The other twenty odd people are holding out for a new boat. An hour passes and another boat never comes, but stacks of plastic lawn chairs begin to appear from every village house in the town! Chairs are stacked everywhere, people have to climb over benches in order to get to the one "bathroom" that is in the back of the boat, and we are off. Before you know it, our smiling boat captain is actively peddling beer and pot for all who were interested. In short, it smelled like a rock concert there for a little while. We arrive at Pak Beng at dark as promised. Also as promised there is no electricity, only generators. The "hotel" was a shack, but they offered out pot and opium just the way someone would ask you if you wanted tea or coffee. While the hotel room was challenging, it did sport quite a nice view (see pics). The boat outlook the next morning was far, far better. Somehow a second boat miraculously appeared. No pot today, but plenty of cute kids, cold beers, and breathtaking scenes (pics of all). For the cherry on top, we even arrived early. I don't know why, but I usually get a vibe for a city almost immediately upon arrival. For Luang Prabang, I was immediately at ease. It proved to be accurate. It is a very special place.