One Step Closer
If our Thailand Visas were not expiring on 8-February (if you overstay your visa you start accruing fines of $15/day per person which they collect when you do finally leave), we would have stayed here longer than 3 nights. Arriving in Nong Khai after an overnight train from Bangkok (left at 8:00 PM and arrived at 10:00 AM), we came to this charming border town on the banks of the Mekong River opposite the country of Laos - the kind of place that you warm up to and then regret leaving.
The 2nd class train sleeper car wasn’t bad - separate upper and lower bunks
with curtains for privacy – and we both had a pretty decent nights sleep. One thing to note is that
the upper bunk is exactly 72” in length so if you’re longer than 6’, you can’t stretch out – fortunately, I sleep on my side in more of a fetal position, so I had no problem. Marge was in the bottom bunk and had a little more space. Total cost for two people was $40.
Part of the charm of this town was the great guesthouse we stayed at – the Thai Nongkhai Guesthouse. When I inquired about availability, the lady that showed it to me had been staying there for 3 months, and I can see why. Not to mention it was only $14 a night.
Most travelers use this town as a one night stopover before hitching a ride on the international bus to Vientiane, Laos, maybe 10 miles away. However, it’s worth hanging around for a few days and soaking up the local atmosphere. There’s an extensive new boardwalk that follows the meandering Mekong,
passing many Wats along the way. Outside our guesthouse, there’s a lady selling banana/pineapple shakes for 75 cents, while further down another lady makes these great crepes for 50 cents.
Marge and I both need a break from Asian food for a week or so. The first Mexican restaurant I see I’m pigging out- the same for Italian. We’ve tried many different pizzas but they all taste like those frozen take and bake kind you buy back in the states. We’re thinking Laos and its French influence might
bring a fresh variety into our diet.
So here’s our latest plan: Friday, 08-February we’ll cross into Laos and spend up to a month there depending on how we like it. There are three main towns – Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang where we’ll spend time. We expect the weather to be cooler and the country to be a little less commercialized. After Luang Prabang, we’ll take a 2 day cruise up the Mekong River back into northern Thailand where we’ll spend another month or so before heading south to Cambodia. Starting April 1st, we have 30 day visas for Vietnam, so that’s our next hardcoded stop. Until then, we’ll be flexible.
So, we’re one step closer, it’s pretty easy to get around by bus or train and neither of us are tired of traveling. So keep reading the blog, and we’ll try and keep it more up to date – usually, I’ve been posting things 5-7 days later, so when you read we’re in Bangkok, we’re really in Laos (right now I’m typing this entry at a wireless café in Vientiane, Laos – great little town, more on that later !
And as I sit in the café
and gaze across the Mekong at yet another new
country and adventure we wish you all well and trust that we’re safe and sound.
