Huay Xai

This place is a typical border town.  There is a mass exodus and entrance from / to Laos in the morning.  Thailand is visible just across the river.  I can see the small boats ply their trade between the two countries.

Once the new arrivals get here they for the most part head for the ferry terminals and straight out of town.

After the morning rush the town except for the few odd arrivals returns to its sleepy self.  There are very few travellers remaining after about 1030.  Not that I blame them since there isn’t much to do here.

I managed to find the office for the Gibbon Experience and booked to go on Wednesday.  It is a little expensive USD 125.00 but it is for 3 days & two nights and everything is included.  At first I was a little bit disappointed that I am going to be stuck here for another day particularly since there is not much to do here.  Still delays while travelling are inevitable.

I was sitting in a riverside restaurant and the last minute dash of boats has started with travellers crossing the river in a last minute bid to get across the river before the border closes for the night.  The slow boat has just pulled in and a couple of the travellers are running up the road, quite hard work with a back pack on.  I didn’t have the heart to tell them there was no point in running since it was already after 1800 and it is about a 15 minute walk between where the slow boat pulls in and where the boats for Thailand leave.