Day 43
We want to say goodbye to the Catmosphere cats before we go to the airport so we have a brownie breakfast whilst having all the kitties to ourselves. I know I've already raved about the apartment owners but they really are amazing and to top off their wonderfulness, they are giving us a lift to the air port. So at 11.30 with our bags packed, we say cheerio to Chaing Mai.
The airport is small but seems to have everything we need including a rude exchange lady and a cat in the toilet. The check in is downstairs and there's so many signs for food pointing towards the gates that we don't worry about getting anything downstairs, however once we've rushed through there is hardly anything up here and I have no idea where the signs were pointing. So we have a rubbish tuna sandwich and discuss the pros of keeping Bees until our check in, a smelly bus to the plane and boarding. Which is very quick as the plane is tiny, it has propellers and holds about 40 people. So cute.
It's our first flight with Lao Airlines and I'm really impressed. The seats and comfy and spacious and although our flights only an hour we get a nice snack and a free drink. The only down side is because the plane is so small we had a lot turbulence so even though they were very hospitable I was glad to get off. Luang Prabang airport is even smaller than Chiang Mai but we get our visas pretty quick and collect our bags, it's also really hot here and I'm feeling our first taste of the 40c heat, urg. We are also millionaires once we've got to the cash point which I didn't think I'd ever say, the conversation rate is 1,000,000 kip is £83ish.
Laos from the part I've seen today is beautiful, and I'm so glad we came. We haven't got a map yet so we haven't done too much exploring but I can't wait too, just maybe not in the mid day sun
Day 44
As seems to be common with hostel rooms, it's pitch black so we sleep through until 10am but dress quick once we are awake as we saw a pancake stall yesterday and who can say no to them. We set off from our breakfast in the direction we think the main town is and I'm surprised by how quiet it is. It's nearly 11 and there are only a handful of cars and people on the streets. It's blissfully peaceful and I fall in love a little more.
We walk about 2 miles following the Nam Khan river till we find where it connects to the Mekong. There's a bamboo bridge that crosses the river at this point and the guy who owns it, builds it at the beginning of the dry season each year and takes it down again before the end. We go across and I try not to think it's just bamboo holding me up when I start to feel a little peaky. I've all of a sudden got really, really hot, like fainting hot, my neck hurts in every step and I feel dizzy. We sit down, watching the river and the brightly coloured monks but I don't feel any better and all I want is to lie down.
We wander for a bit, come back across the bridge and have a drink but I feel even worse. So we split up, Ben goes off to explore the town and I go back to rest up. I think it's the malaria tablets I've just started taking which have, ironically, given me some of the symptoms of malaria. Ben comes back after a few hours and fills me on his adventures with steps and monks and I show him a restaurant I've found nearby called Utopia.
It's so chilled and over looks the Nam Khan river. The owner is a Canadian who's really keen on everything being right and the food is amazing. We stay here for a few hours, just watching the sun set and chatting away until my head starts to hurt and I'm tucked in and asleep by 8pm.
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