Heading for the border

Our Aussie friends were heading to the Thai/Laos border town of Chang Khong as well so we all set off with a Canadian couple who were making their way to Chang Mai. Nok couldn't fit us all in the same car to drop us into Chiangmai Rai so she organized for a local taxi (covered ute with seats in the back) to come and pick us all up. The taxi couldn't make it up the rough road to Bamboo Nest so Nok drove our bags down to the Lhao village below and we all walked down. So began our journey north to the border and to Laos.
Our bags were thrown onto the roof of the taxi and we all piled in for the hour long ride. Leo bust out the ukelele and gave us some tunes which resulted in a spontaneous sing a long. Certainly a magic moment driving along the windy roads beside the river and next to rice paddies with the kids belting out some tunes competing with the noisy old taxi engine.
Got dropped at local bus station and jumped on the local Chiang Khong bus with only just enough time for a toilet stop and to buy some unidentifible "chips" at the bus station. Another fun ride with our Aussie travelling companions and a few more songs sung along the way.
When we got there we parted ways with our friends who went to stay in the town on the Laos side of the river.
I insisted on getting budget accommodation and was chuffed to find a place on the river for just 400 baht or about $12 a night. Its right on the Mekong and the view is worth a million dollars but I'm afraid the room is not worth more than, well, $12. They kindly put a couple of mattresses on the floor for the boys (bumpy, hard old things with bottom sheets and Chinese polyester bed covers but no top sheets). I rustled up a couple of top sheets for them but we've all had to put t shirts over our pillows as they were on the tatty side. It was peaceful on the Mekong and we were all amazed that we were looking over at another country, with different food, currency and language right across the river. Then the enormous karaoke club directly across the river in Laos started and the music (and it's generous calling it that) is booming into our room. It's a sort of repetitive, tuneless, never ending wailing. Richard keeps muttering "God strike me" when they reach a noisy crescendo. The boys are asleep on their bumpy mattresses and we keep giggling at the ridiculous music but I'm actually worried the acute auditory sensitivity might cause Rich to swim the Mekong in the middle if the night to try to stop the racket. Anyway, it's time to try to get some sleep so wish us luck.
LYTTMAB
XXX