The Visa Run/Anniversary Trip

We hopped on a bus last week to take a break from our school duties in Mae Sot. We timed it to celebrate our first wedding anniversary in Chiang Mai - another interesting northern Thai city. We found a great little guest house with a pool that would cost you a small fortune in any other country. Our balcony overlooked the pool and river behind it.

Chiang Mai

We had a little shopping spree at the night market - so many goodies on sale! You could buy a Rolex or a Breitling watch copy here for about 10€ (AUD$13) I was tempted, but bought some T-shirts instead. The quality of the copies is unbelievable - but do I really want to pretend that I can afford such a watch, and pass it off as the genuine article. At the market, in the heat of a buying frenzy, yes. Later, when I had come to my senses, not at all. A three-year-old could tell that the cost of such a watch, if it were genuine, doesn't remotely match the cost (or style) of the clothes that I wear. Okay, I just like shiny things...

We had a beer right next door to one of those Aussie-style bars and were treated to a little show when the fat ignited, and the whole barby caught alight. It burned for at least 10 minutes while they struggled to put it out. I tried to help by suggesting to up-turn a sandy pot plant over it as they had no fire extinguisher or fire blanket!

They did finally manage it by pulling the drip tray onto the street. Buy this time I'd taken quite a few funny photos! We then left for somewhere with less burned paint fumes in the air.

This beast was at the Thai/Laos border crossing at Chiang Khong. A Honda motor/Yamaha seat/and God-only-knows what other bits and pieces sticky-taped together. It looks like it would be in place on a Mad Max set. Thai Customs in the background, on the bank of the Mekong.

Then we crossed the mighty Mekong River into Laos in one of these beautiful little ferries. This was to set the stage for many, many more beautiful boats along the way.The crusty paint-jobs only added to their beauty.

Ferries, and one Chinese freighter

We very quickly learnt to say hello and thank you in Laotian(?), and jumped onto our ferry-boat for a 2-day trip down river to Luang Prabang. We had a full boat, and collected chickens and other cargo along the way. There's lots of little villages along the river, and the boat stops here and there to collect more passengers. Children come on board selling food and souvenirs. I got an icy cold beer from one.

Bilge-Rat

Our boat was in a constant state of sinking so this guy had to jump in to the open engine room to bail 'er out from time to time. The stern-gland (where the propeller shaft passes through the boat) had water gushing in. I know it helps keep the shaft/bearings cool, but this was a bit of overkill!

This is the fast way - gets you there real fast, but maybe not too safe.There's many sunken rocks along the way when the Mekong is low.

A Bamboo village along the river - one of many

If it's just the scenery you want to see - then go no further than the Hinchinbrook Island channel, in North Queensland. It looks almost exactly the same. Of course you won't have the lovely Asian culture...or those pesky rocks to navigate around...