Slow Boat to Luang Prabang, Laos Pt. 1

So after our terrifying van ride...we arrived to the border at about 4am. Our housing for the night was included, and was pretty much the equivalent of sleeping on a ping pong table. At 7am, we were up, loaded into the back of a truck, and on our way to get our Laos entry visas. Once we purchased our visa, we took a 1 minute boat ride over the water that separates Laos and Thailand. Once on the Laos side, we went to have our visas put into our passports. From there we were then taken to our final boat...the 2-day slow boat to Luang Prabang, Laos...our final destination for the time being.

When we first saw the boat, and all the backpackers we were with, we all thought there was no way we were all going to fit on that boat. Each backpacker plus their gear is essentially 2 people, plus there were tons of local people riding the boat as well. At first glance, the boat itself looked like it wasn't going to make it. They're very long and narrow and filled with old seats from cars/vans/buses, etc. It's exactly how it sounds. We sat on these boats for 6-8 hours at a time for 2 days, stopping for the night in a town that is literally there for the purpose of a night stopping point for these boat trips.

Besides the longs days, the uncomfortable seats and the interesting bathroom...the Mekong river sure was beautiful.

we all piled on to the end boat..the boats are definitely larger than they look!

on the boat..notice the seats..

this adorable girl was backpacking with her parents..

along the Mekong..

look who we found! for those of you who don't know..this is one of my roommates from Chicago, Margaret (she's from Philadelphia). While I was working in Korea, she was working in Australia and we met here at the Laos border!

trying to get comfy on the boat..guess who's sleeping on the floor?

on the boat..

something to entertain ourselves with..hair-braiding!

monks getting off at their stop..

locals waving as we passed..

our first BeerLao

margaret and me at dinner..

this is the boat next to us on the second morning..

my ticket..

more locals getting dropped off..

a temple within the rocks..

finally in Luang Prabang..

everything was so lushly green..

the school yard in town..

as you probably all have noticed in my photos, i like pattern details and texture..

everywhere you turn in this town there's a perfect photo waiting to be taken..

the Mekong..

we bought some coconuts..

tuk tuk

drying rice patties

there were many stray dogs..

bridge across the Namkang river..

view of the pedestrian/motorbike bridge towards the airport..