Leaving Laos

20th March

At 6 am the town awoke to music. I thought maybe it was the national anthem but listenning on Youtube it sounds different.

We had to catch the bus at 7:30 am to take us over the border to Dien Bien Pho in Vietman. 

On the way we saw the monks coming out to receive alms from the people. This happens everywhere, all over Buddhist Asia (I saw it in Bangkok too, the morning I arrived). The people line up on the street and the monks come and are given food etc. to take to the temple.

We had a coffee from the stall next to the ticket office, which is a little table and chair

As we were sitting there a little man turned up on his scooter - he looked about 90 years old - and it was he who sold the tickets. He had an old style mobile phone and he gave me too much change. It crossed my mind to keep it, but I gave it back to him. I didn't want bad karma.

In any case, the kip is pretty much worthless outside of Laos.

We then embarked on a bumpy bus ride to the boarder.

I say 'we' as Me, Margot, Kat (another Kat) an English girl and Siham (French) had formed a kind of group as we were all heading for Sapa after Dien Bien Pho. 

After a couple of hours we were at the office to get stamped out of Laos after, sadly, only spending 13 days.

I am glad I visited here, and would like to see more of the country......maybe in the future. Here, everything moves a little slower, but its OK....you get there in the end. My memories of Laos will be the amazing food cooked in the tiny kitchens, beautiful mountains and the kids - helping their parents, playing in the streets, riding on scooters and going to school in their uniforms. 

'Khob chai lai lai !'