The Slow Boat from Laos to Thailand

Days 396-398, December 28-30, 2011

When you’re in Northern Laos, or Northern Thailand for that matter, and you want to move to the next country, the method of transport you are most likely to take, because it’s a journey everyone raves about, is the slow boat down(or up) the Mekong. Sure, you can take the speedboat(it cuts the journey down to 6 hours) but the slow boat is a much more amazing experience I would imagine.

And while most people do the journey going from Thailand to Laos, Lucy, Janine, and I did it the less common, less busy way. Laos to Thailand.

Travel Day–Kratie, Cambodia to Si Phan Don, Laos

Day 378, December 10, 2011

There is only one land border crossing between Cambodia and Laos and for the longest time it was a painful one to cross. While most other land crossings into Laos would have visas available on arrival, this particular one did not.

That all changed a few years ago and according to the owner of a restaurant in Kratie, it has had the effect of boosting business like crazy. More travelers are making the journey in that direction as it has become easier and more convenient. It is not without its challenges though!

From Hippy to Revolutionary

The following takes place between days 184-186, May 30 – June 1, 2011

Even though I still felt queasy and tired from the food poisoning, I still managed to get up and leave the hostel in Essouira in time to catch my bus that would begin probably not so much the longest travel day of the trip, but certainly the one with the most connections and distance. 

It started off with a bus from Essaouira to Marrakech where I would switch to a train for Casablanca. As the Casablanca airport is so far out of the city, I would then need to take a separate train from Casablanca back out of the city to the airport. Considering I had at least 7 hours to wait for my flight, I initially thought I could store my luggage at the Casablanca train station or something and run off to see the 3rd largest Mosque in the world, and also one of only two in the country that allows non-Muslims to visit.

Sometimes, though, things don’t necessarily turn out the way one plans.