After purchasing a bus ticket from a travel agent in Chiang Rai last night, who told us we'd be picked up this morning from our hostel at 6am to be driven to the border at Chiang Khong: Correct...
She then said we'd be processed through the border and get our visas sorted: Also correct...
She then said we'd be taken to their sister bus company in Laos who would take us to the bus station for the bus to Luang Prabang: Again correct.
But what she refused to disclose was that we were the only two people getting the bus, (as the more popular option was the 2 day slow boat journey), and that we would be waiting 5 HOURS for the bus at a rickety old bus station with holes in the ground for toilets, a newsagent selling only crisps and water and a small cafe with limited and rather dodgy looking food options. We obv weren't expecting luxury but overtired and hangry, it was a long time to wait in the sweltering hot sun with not much to do except try to plan ahead for our time in the Country.
Eventually we boarded the bus where it had about 16 bunk beds and reminded me slightly of the Harry Potter Knight Bus. At first it was fine, watching the sunset over the mountain terrain was beautiful, until it got dark, the aircon was freezing, I couldn't get comfortable as my 38inch legs didn't fit on properly and I desperately needed to pee.
A whole 14 hours later at 5am we arrived in Luang Prabang and luckily, I wasn't asleep as the driver announced our destination so quietly.
Knackered and grumpy, we gathered our belongings and haggled with a tuktuk to take us and another couple to our separate hostels. Unbeknownst to us at the time, we witness the Monks Tak Bat Procession, which is the time in the morning where the Buddhist Monks collect food from offerings outside homes. They walk in single file (oldest first) carrying their "alms" bowl.
People wait for them, often kneeling, and place food, flowers or incense sticks in the bowls. This is a morning tradition for Lay people, which we soon found out from people at the Hostel. In hindsight I wished I'd taken some photos or appreciated it more at the time, as we never got the chance to see it again, but I do have the blurry memory through tired eyes.
Our Hostel has small dorm rooms, a pool, one communal area inside and outside but a good price for the little town.
We're sharing a room with 2 Irish girls who are on their last leg of Asia, so we've buddied up together and bless them- they've already made us a list of places to go, things to do or avoid. All that they've learned from their travels based on their experiences, which is good for us as we're fairly new to Asia.
They're also AMAZING at bargaining with vendors at the markets, which is something I want them to definitely teach us before we part ways!
ACCOM: Kouansavan Guest House
ATTRACTIONS: Tak Bat Monks Morning Ritual
VENUES: Night Market
Stace x
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