After leaving Sapa, I arrived in the remote town of Dien Bien Phu where the French got their asses kicked by the Vietnamese some time ago.

This is the northern most launching point to cross the border into Laos, however, I realized I had a major problem. This border crossing is brand new and very infrequently used. It's reported that some crossing points don't issue travel visas upon arrival at the border and this may be one of them. ****! This means I would have to back track all the way to Hanoi and go to the Laos embassy to get one. Fortunately, after a little internet research, I learned from other travelers that they do give "on the spot" visas here, saving me a lot of time and money.
My problems were only beginning though. When I arrived at the Laos guard station, there was absolutely no one there; except the guards, of course. Any other border crossing would have hordes of food vendors, money changers, scam artists, taxis, and other transport options. Not here! There's nothing. When I asked when a bus comes through, the best english speaking guard said "maybe TWO day." I said "Do you mean TODAY or 2 DAY?" Two days from now, it was confirmed. Now I was stuck at the Laos border with only Vietnamese money and no buses for two days.
There was nothing for me to do except kick my feet up on my backpack and relax on a bench outside the guard house and wait to see what happens next. I was hoping a truck or something would come through and I could hitch a ride. While waiting, I found the Laos guards much more friendly and open compared to their Vietnamese counterparts.

And when I did the math, I realized they didn't even rip me off that much for the cost of the visa (something they are famous for) only over-charging me $4.50 for the $36 dollar fee. Beer money I guess.
About an hour later, the call was answered and two big transport trucks came through the border from Vietnam. Hitching rides for free isn't a concept they understand here so after negotiating $11 bucks to get to the next big village 46 miles and three hours away, I was on my way.

In the village of Muang Khua, I said goodbye to the Vietnamese truck driver and finally changed my Vietnamese Dong into Laotian Kip. In the local restaurant, I recognized a French couple I met two and a half months ago in Phnom Penh, and a French Canadian couple from Sapa.

The next morning I was on my way down the Nam Ou river with my group of "Frenchies" to a village I didn't even know existed. The place was spectacular and a planned two or three day stay easily turned into six. The people were friendly, the food was great, the Beer Lao was cold, and the crowing roosters at 6 am were absolutely horrible. I wanted to kill them. We had a great time hiking to other nearby villages, canoing on the river, climbing the local mountains, and enjoying cold Beer Lao each evening. Great stuff this Beer Lao...one of the best!