I started the day in Luang Namtha. It’s a real shit town where there seems to be some kind of prostitution ring based off of the noises I heard outside and the characters I saw going in and out of the hotel. I stopped at the local market which was surprisingly big for there being so few people around. I got some noodles, fruits, and this sack of juice I hadn’t seen before but they were everywhere so I figured I had to try it. It seemed to be filled with boba-type items inside.
I saw a few monks riding around on scooters which I hadn’t seen before. Then I was off! I got a late start to the day as I was exhausted from the late night the night before. It was for sure the single best day of driving so far. The road was smooth and mostly flat and the views were spectacular. There were no points that were too remote where I couldn’t find gas.
Trying to cross the border into Thailand: I made amazing time and got to the border around 4pm. I was very excited and was desperately hoping there would not be any issues crossing. I drove up, parked the bike where the guy pointed and then walked up to the first booth. The guy could actually speak a little bit of English and took my passport. He pointed to the bike and I tried to explain that I wanted to bring it with me. He told me I could not take a Vietnamese or Chinese bike with me into Thailand. I tried to argue with him and make sure it was true. He called someone on the Thai side who told me the same thing. I walked around to almost every other booth and they all pointed me to the first guy again. So I just sat there eating fruits for a long time. He called the guy again and I talked with him for a while. He said he wasn’t able to produce the rule so I kept just waiting hoping they would let me in. It didn’t really matter, the guy wouldn’t budge.
Apparently they allow some caravans of motorcycles through sometimes but that sounds expensive and like it would have to be put together by some kind of local travel agency. I gave up and formulated a new plan. I would stay in Laos longer, then maybe hop over to Northern Vietnam, explore a little there, then meet up with Steff in the Philippines a little bit earlier than planned on the 25th.
It was late by the time I left the border so I found a dorm in the town nearby. I think it’s called Huay Xai and it’s full of French people. The attraction there is some 2 day “Gibbon Experience.” But it cost $190 apparently and I didn’t have the time. Some girl was crying in the lobby because she thought she had rabies. Yikes…
I planned my route for the next day and I decided I would drive through the Boonies to avoid driving the same road twice. Little did I know what this decision would cost me…