Modernisation

if only tha building doesn't exist
the sunset horizon would be so beautiful, awe inspiring and
magnificent over the perfume river of hue....
Sigh.... Is that why we seldom notice the beauty of mother nature in
kl or singapore?
It was nice but not fantastic because of blockages...

Taken by the Perfume riverfront, hue, vietnam

From Chiang Khong, Thailand to Luang Phabang, Laos

10 apr 2010
Am out of Laos and crossed over to cambodia. Not sure if i've enjoyed Laos entirely but am sure that i am grateful for the people i've met and traveled together.
We started off from chiang kang, thai n took a slightly more than 1min long tail boat ride over the mekong river to Laos.
I still remember that moment - 2 country overlooking each other n just separated by the mekong river. I was so excited coz it's Mich's odyssey second country!
We stayed a night in Huay Xai - the town of which the Laos checkpoint is, there's nothing much but we managed. Nevertheless, we met this lovely American couple - Richard & Melissa with a group of retirees from Australia.
It soon became some sort of a fate to have meet up Richard and Melissa again in between our trips.
Its just amazing to have a glimpse of a new country after spending 3 weeks in Thailand. The language is similar so is their culture. I can't grasp the idea clearly but the 1st wk tt i'm in Lao, i felt like being ripped off from the local. Seriously, the kips r like rupiah! You can be a millionaire but then the money flow away like the mekong river.
I travelled over to Lao with Diane & Brege. Diane of whom i've met in the minibus from pai to chiang rai. And brege of whom we've met @ the akha hilltribe homestay.
Huay xai is not a friendly town to chk in to but the locals depends on tourists/backpackers to earn more. By this, the falang always pay more than locals. Its never fails to amaze me and at times i hated it.
From Huay Xai, i went off to Luang Phabang via the slow boat with brege. The initial plan is to do 1day slowboat & the other half journey by bus. However, after reading on LP, its just seems too much of a hassle. Thus, i decided to do the slow boat all the way to Luang Phabang.
We were the first 2 to chk in to the boat but a group of koreans got the upper hand to choose their seats. We got to know Andy from Belgium from the slowboat ride. I think my instincts go well coz we refused to buy cushions that the locals kept touting us to buy for the very uncomfortable boat ride.
Being early have its advantages, there's limited cushions available in the boat - FOC! More luck is when we had the whole bench to ourselves. Seriously,... The benches? Worst than our school canteen bench! 
I'm a monkey. I don't sit still. To do that 2 days - sitting still n practically without any entertainment except some small chat, the non stop waving @ locals and the scenery....is a challenge to myself!
Its not all lovey and happy ride though, the sight of forest burning just gives you the heartache.Nevertheless, am curious to know how they control the fire coz the burnt area is just weird. The nearest that i could describe is like a man balding slowly. The mediteranean balding pattern. Ha!ha!
Also, we could see how low is the water level @ this moment with all the water markings on the rocks along the river. Thats what they really mean by the DRY season! Seriously!
Its a blessing in disguise to take the slow boat as it was stopped previously due to the low water level. Some travellers felt dissapointed and even some are so devastated. We got our slow boat just a day after they resumed service!
We docked off @ Pak Beng for the night. Its another small town that shows not much of the Lao culture. Here is where i tried my first Lao Lao (Lao whisky). It tastes like very strong tequila - NEAT!
Pak Beng got me so frantic coz my M1 mobile refuse to hook on to any network and my Lao mobile is helpless as well. I was so worried that family & friend back home is worried bout my safety. Used my humble Nokia E72 to search network till the battery drained out but to no avail. They don't even have internet connection here! So ulu is the place that i didn't really expected it to be! The highlight of Pak Beng is that we had a very delicious indian food (i am deprived of something close to home for about a month and that makes my day!) and meeting up with Melissa & Richard and the Ozzies group at the same restaurant! By now, i think you could really imagine how small is both Huay Xai & Pak Beng or rather is it that travellers seem to have the same route? :) Both are equally correct! 
Well, we manage to arrive Luang Phabang on the second evening! Not without any souvenir though.... I was so excited to see Richard & Melissa getting off from their luxurious boat that i stuck half my body out from the boat window to wave at them and then, just then one stupid bed bug from the curtain crawled to my hand and became a permanent resident of my body for next couple of days.... The rest is all an itchy,frantic and scared-the-hell-out-of-Brege history. :)
Instead of sharing a room with Brege & Andy, i am once again sleeping alone with my itchy bites.....
We did a bicycle tour around Luang Phabang. Its a beautiful ride with those colonial french building. I know i missed out on Pak Ou cave (with thousands of Buddha images inside) and the smoke from the forest fire just make it difficult to see sunset from Phou Si temple (yes, its literally pronounced as 'pussy'. Obscene but its a temple!) But that gives me a reason to go back! Hehehehe....
Just as i thought i will not be seeing Melissa & Richard, i saw them chilling out at a cafe on our last night in Luang Phabang. Fateful coincidence... :)
I part off with Brege & Andy to head off to Bolaven Plateau and they heading off to Vang Vieng... So long friends!