From Chiang Rai (Thailand) to Huay Xai (Laos) ---6 Dec
When we were preparing to leave the "Moon & Sun Hotel" to take the bus to Chiang Khong the hotel's
management very kindly volunteered to drive us to the bus terminal, very typical of our experiences at
that hotel.  We accepted the offer and in the hotel's pickup truck were taken to the bus terminal and
disembarked immediately next to our bus to Chiang Khong, which departed about fifteen minutes later.
  The bus had torn seats, dirty windows, two seats on one side of the aisle and three seats on the other.
 During our ride the bus made frequent stops to let passengers on and off, but generally less than half
the seats were occupied.  We were the only westerners on the bus.
About four hours later, around 2:00pm, we arrived at the town of Chiang Khong, on the Mekong, which
forms the forms the border between Thailand and Laos.   From the bus stop we took a tuck-tuck taxi
each about two kilometers to the immigration checkpoint for exit formalities and then took the
motorized canoe-type ferry across the river to the Lao entry point at Huay Xai. We presented our
Lao visa applications to Lao immigration, each with our photo and US$30 visa fee.  
Near the ferry landing we checked into the Thaveesinh Hotel for 400 Thai baht (US$10) for the
night.  The front room on the second floor overlooked the main street below, not too bad for the
price except that we later discovered that the bathroom sink drained directly onto the bathroom
floor, wetting most of it.  We had a late lunch at a nearby restaurant, after which we took a walk
around the small town.
The Thaveseesinh Hotel, our hotel in Huay Xai.  Our room at the front of the
building, one flight up, behind the red flag.
Huay Xai's Main Street, viewed from a
balcony of our hotel.
Huay Xai street scene.  In Laos practically all taxis and
local buses are like the three-wheeled "tuk-tuk" above.
Huay Xai's Main Street seen from a sidewalk restaurant.
Huay Xai is becoming an increasingly busy border entry point for travelers from Thailand heading
for Luang Prabang or going to Luang Namtha and other destinations in the far north of Laos.   There
was not much to keep us in Huay Xai so, like most travelers, we remained there for only one night.
From our landlord at the Thaveesinh Hotel we bought tickets at 750 Thai baht ( US$19.00) each for
the next day's "slow boat" departure for the two-day cruise to Luang Prabang.
This morning we experienced our first rain on this trip, an early morning shower ending at about
9:00am.