From Chiang Mai I took an overnight bus to the Lao Border and then took a slow boat up river for two days to reach Luang Prabang. Visa entry for Australians was five dollars cheaper than for Poms or Americans and on taking my passport the Border official greeted me with a big 'G'day Mate'. Travelling up the Mekong on the first day was nice, but my fatigue from a sleepless night on the bus made for a long day. Arriving for the night in Pakbeng, we payed just over a dollar for our nights accomodation and had a huge delicious meal with two American girls we had met along the way.
Feeling much better after a nights sleep, the next day on the boat was very relaxing watching the river and reading my book or writing in my journal. Pulling into Luang Prabang around 5:30 I could tell straight away that this would be a place I liked and having spent a few days here now I can say that my first impression was not wrong...
Monks wander the streets all day and I got up early one morning to watch them doing their alms rounds. People are friendly and don't hassle you to buy things and the river setting is a great place to relax. If time were not an issue I could spend a long time in Luang Prabang with its surrounding waterfalls and caves..
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