Udomxay & Muang Khoua

Muang Xay

I decided to head east to Udomxay, as I heard this was a good hub to plan my onward tour. The bus there was an interesting one! I bought my ticket and boarded the bus. Found a spare seat and sat in it, only to be told that someone was already sitting there and that I should find another one. So I sat in another one only to be told the same thing. That was the last 'free' seat so it looked as if I didn't have a seat for this journey. Next thing I know, they are pulling a white plastic garden chair up into the aisle and there we go, my seat has arrived! Every corner we went around the flimsy legs benheath me buckled and I would fall into the lap of the person either side of me. It was quite comical to begin with, but after an hour or so of winding roads the joke was wearing thin.

I arrived in Udomxay and shared a room with Mike from DC. There wasn't a huge amount to do there so we decided to head straight on the next day. Udomxay was such a non-event I don't have a single photo to even prove I was there! Muang Khoua was the next destination.

Muang Khoua

Another bus ride. Jouneys had become more than tolerable by this point. After my 42 hours to Beijing everything else felt like a drive to the local shop. The bus filled up along the way with local tribespeople. It got quite crammed at points but was never too irritating.

Muang Khoua was chilled. Not in the temperature sense! A little town on the Nam Ou river. The river was the lifeline for every settlement along it. Boats would come and go all day long. Imports in and exprts out.

Long Boats and Long Grass

Mike and I decided a little river travel would be a good way to take in some scenery. After a short stay in Muang Khoua we headed on again.

My time in Laos was limited to two weeks due to my visa. I was on the move a lot.

Our next stop was Nong Khiaw.