Today we drive to Chiang Khong via Chiang Rai.

Currently, we’re sitting on our verandah at the Namkhong Riverside Hotel, right on the edge of the Mekong River. Its cool, we’ve just had dinner at a little local restaurant close by, 150 baht ($7.50 each inc drinks). We run into other people from Townsville doing the Nagi Mekong trip and a young couple from Holland on an adventure.

Over the river, in Laos we can hear a god awful karaoke, its a lot quieter in Thailand tonight.

We had a lovely breakfast in Chiang Mai before we left, Zang our driver arrived early, we said goodbye to the Elliebum staff and Gade who is the owner.

First stop is coffee and a loo break after the first mountain pass, at a hot spring area. Coffee is good  then 6 colourful buses with locals pull up. We move on to Chiang Rai, the White Temple, the Blue Temple and a black museum, then lunch at a funky leafy little place somewhere in Chiang Rai.

Onwards over more mountains before we come to the Mekong then Chiang Khong. Our hotel is the Namkhong Riverside, all rooms look over the Mekong.

We left at 9am arrived at 4.30pm, so a fair bit of travelling in our luxurious mini bus today.

Our border crossing paperwork is waiting for us, which we mostly get right but I think maybe some is not right. We need the paperwork , one passport photo, $40 USD and we should then be in Laos and then the boat heading south on the Mekong.

Thankfully all gummy bear residual effects have disappeared and we all seem ready for the next part of the adventure.