Up, up and away to Huay Xai

Who would have ever thought that getting into a socialist/ communist country would be so easy?

In the morning we got up, walked to the Immigration Centre at Pak Ban (10 minute walk up the road from Chiang Khong) and checked out of Thailand. We then meandered down the dirt road to the riverside where a flotilla of "long boats" were moored to the banks, paid our fare, jumped on board a boat and some 2 minutes later we were in Huay Xai, Laos. Going home to our respective countries is much more difficult and arduous!

At Huay Xai we filled in the necessary visa applications at the wharf, gave Lao Immigration a photo of each of us (we're sure that this is for the secret file that they now have on us) and paid our dues. Interestingly enough the visa fee for an Australia is only US$30 while for an American citizen it's US$35. But my fellow Americans don't be discouraged for the Canadians have to pay the most - US $42.

It must have taken us all of 20 minutes to depart Thailand, cross the river, get our visa's and be standing (legally) in Laos. And to our joy and surprise we were granted 30 day visa's instead of 15... so we had time to burn!