Arriving In Laos!!

The Thai side

Thakhek – Arrived 3/6/2011

The border crossing.  This has been the most fun I have over a border crossing – a boat trip across the Mekong!  Things were made a little bit tricky though with the immigration offices being at the top of the river banks and having to get bike and all to the boat down a whole lot of steps.  Thai side no worries a happy helper carried my bike and I carried the gear – not sure which was heaviest to be honest!  Things, stuff and whatever was thrown onto the boat to ‘export’ to Laos and everyone crowded on.  I got a few funny looks with my bike.

The Laos side

The Laos side.  Well you cross a river and you step into a new country.  It was pretty funny as soon as we hit the dock a bunch of guys jumped on started unloading all the goods it seemed all rather frantic and I thought someone was going to grab my bike and gear and just take off.  I just stood there looking dumb and soon enough I was left there with all my stuff.  A guy helped me again carrying my bike up to the immigration office.  He took it through to the other side of the offices so I just had to hope that it would be waiting for me once I got through immigration.  All sorted my bike was there and the guy was even kind enough to sort of move it out of the rain (it was pouring by now, a sign of things to come).  I load up, thank my helper then go to head off.  The guy starts talking Lao to me and gesturing money for carrying my bike.  I had a little bit of Thai baht left so go to hand him 20 baht (about $1) but he doesn’t take it and shows me a 100.  Not really in the mood for arguing and I had a 100 spare so that was that. Cheeky, but kind of funny too.

On the ferry

My bike waiting for me
at immigration 

Sorting a SIM card was a general disaster.  It took 3 SIM cards and a whole lot of confusing broken conversations to finally get one working.  The people who sold me it though were very helpful and patient.

I take a wee cruise around the streets of Thakhek to suss the place out.  Money exchange.  Not sure how exactly the currencies work here, USD and Thai Baht are accepted but not legal tender.  Think I read you can use USD in the cities though.  Exchanged some American dollars anyway – instant millionaire.  Only problem is that a bunch of my notes are too old and creased that they aren’t accepted.  The wee money machine literally spat them back out.  It’s sooo stupid, the money is good and the local kip notes are ripped, torn and crinkled to pieces and they use that!!!  I’ll find somewhere to use the ‘bad’ dollars.

Accommodation is cheap.  Air con, warm shower, fridge and TV for about $10 NZD pretty sweet.

The bed my look deceptively reasonably comfortable but it rock hard and concaved on three sides, a new meaning to a solid night’s sleep.

Beef Lahp feast

Wander around the streets for a bit (the rain has stopped now) lots of people say hello and smile at me seems a friendly country so far.  Dinner was a crack up.  I had to show the people my phrase book and see if anything it listed was what they had.  I ended up with Beef Lahp and soup.  Salad, sticky rice, minced beef with herbs and chilli and soup.  Looked a grand feast.  Not sure how you were meant to mix everything so I did just that a bit everything and into the mouth.  Laughed at and talked about at bit but I’m use to that now.

Dessert time.  A fruit stall across the street, perfect.  A group of friend sit around next it (one or two of them ran the stall) and randomly one of them asks me try their food/dinner.  Sure.  I start  by getting some salad then sticky rice then…. Laughed at.  I stop and gesture the guy to show how they eat it.  Rice and main dish or salad and dish, not all three.  Ok, I do a salad and main dish.  Not bad, and they gesture for me try it with rice so I had a bit more.

“Korp Jai (thank-you).  Good.  Korp jai”

I wander away and about 1 minute later my mouth goes on fire!!!!!!!!! Yea they had the last laugh, but I looked tough when I was eating it and when I left them so they wouldn’t know my mouth was being sacrificed.

Welcome to Laos Calvin new food, new people, new roads (probably older roads actually), new language that I need to pick up fast and a whole lot of new challenges ahead.

Looking forward to getting on the bike and starting the riding again in what looks to be a very scenic country, but hopefully not in the rain too much.