The border crossing from Chiang Khong to Huay Xai in Laos went pretty smoothly. The Thai official at the border charged us 5 Baht "commission" for something...pennies towards his drinking fund i think! We could tell we were being charged for nothing and that he was just trying his luck, but it was such a small amount of money (8p!) that it didnt seem worth kicking up a fuss over. A short ferry crossing later and we reached Laos! Entering there was no problem, and we got a 30 day visa instead of the 15 day maximum we were expecting. From there we caught a public bus north to Luang Nam Tha. The journey only took 3 hours (instead of the 10 hours expected) as the new highway has just been completed. The bus journey was pretty hair-raising, with the driver obviously taking full advantage of the new, almost deserted road. Almost like handing over a private grand prix circuit to a big kid!! But we arrived safely and ahead of time for once so we forgave him.

Luang Nam Tha itself is a very small town in what felt like the middle of nowhere. Accommodation is value for money, with motel-style standards for little over 3 pounds! Bargain! We spent our day there visiting little hill tribe villages in the countryside and also the nearby golden praangs. Our day was going very well up until we reached the waterfall. They were obviously trying to turn it into some kind of tourist attraction, charging people to see it and even park their bikes or mopeds in a small hut. We thought the waterfall must be pretty impressive and paid our money. We immediately regretted it as soon as we saw the "waterfall"...a drizzle of water, that collected into a little pool that was full of rubbish and smelt distinctly of beer! Ah well, it seems Thai mentality is seeping across the border already. Despite this little setback, we had a very pleasant time here. Laos already seems much more relaxed and naturally beautiful than the other countries we have visited in Asia.

-S