Muang Ngoi Neua to Luang Prabang

The boat ride down the Nam Ou from Muang Ngoi Neua to Nong Khiaw on Sunday (7 January) morning was uneventful but beautiful again; the landscapes consisting of jungle covered karst with the blue Nam Ou carving its way through. We arrived in Nong Khiaw about 11 AM and had planned to take a bus half way to our next destination of Phonsavan. We discovered that instead of making one connection to get to Phonsavan it was going to actually take 2 or 3 connections and as many days. I wasn't interested in 'village hoping', but Helen, Ivo, and the Israeli girls were. Instead I decided to go back to Luang Prabang and then head south to Vang Vieng. So the time had unexpectedly come for the group to split. I had been traveling with Ivo and Helen off and on since meeting them in Nepal (over a month now) so it was a bit sad as we got along so well and had a lot of fun together.

John, Tom, and Soon were all going to Luang Prabang too, but I got on a less crowded bus (actually the buses are open-air, covered pickup trucks with a bench on either side, called Sawngthaews) leaving a little later. So I didn't find them upon arriving in Luang Prabang. I was once again traveling solo, which was fine and a good change of pace for me. It was difficult finding a cheap guesthouse for one person in Luang Prabang. The cheapest I found was $6, which is a lot compared to Thailand; Laos is supposed to be cheaper. I found one place for $4 but it was a shit hole, so I sucked it up and took the $6 room with a view of the Nam Khan (river). Luang Prabang sits at the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong. I - as well as others I have talked to - have been pretty amazed at how expensive Laos is, Luang Prabang in particular. Every thing we had heard before was that Laos was cheap, cheap. But I have found it to be as expensive as Thailand and at times as expensive as Bangkok. Hopefully it will be cheaper in Vang Vieng where I'm going tomorrow.