14/04/2014

I awoke to an alarm that didn't go off. Was meant to go off at 7, but was now 7:45. I indented to walk to the bus stop, and quickly jumped up and got my stuff. I knew I wouldn't have enough time so I jumped in a taxi instead. When I got there I got a ticket and waited to be called at the counter. By this time it had went past 8:30, when my bus was to leave, but was ok as it was fully anyway. So instead I had to go via Chiang Rai, then to Chiang Khong. En route everyone attacked the bus by hoying water off us. As the bus is obviously traveling at speed the water hits us with force, and at one point it took his wing mirror off haha!!

I arrived and I took a long walk to the immigration instead of taking a tuk tuk. There I filled out my exit form and got a shuttle bus across the bride to the Laos land where I bought my visa for $35 and was charged an extra dollar for an 'overtime fee' as it was after 4mp. I then took a tuk tuk into town and luckily managed to sit in with the driver. His window didn't go all the way to the top and I got drenched coming in. This was the first day of the festival here in Laos and they were also just as game. There was a real carnival atmosphere and every one was getting pissed in the street and spraying hoses in the air with tunes blasting at a million decibels. I got dropped off and recongised a guesthouse from my book so jumped in, you can forget your budget travel on days like this!!! Major CBA to look for cheap digs, I would have go soaked. Although pricey the hotel was nice. En suite, wifi, air con. On the night I found an ATM and did a recky of the boat pier. The ATM could only let me withdraw 1m Kip. Which may sound a lot but when your digs is 80k a night, that will soon go down quick. That means more commissions for the banks too every time I withdraw, grrrr!! Bought some bananas for the boat. They were rock hard and wouldn't even peel. The one I tired to peel I snapped straight in half it was solid.