Laos and Thailand

Arriving in Luang Namtha in Laos, it was finally really hot again, so everything went a bit slower. The food already had a Thai influence and green curry and sticky rice were a welcome change. The Laotians smile a lot and you immediately take them to your heart. In the rainforest around the village there are some hill tribes. We set off on a trek to a mountain village of the Lahu tribe, which was about 4 hours away from the road.

The Lahu live in families in simple wooden huts and were just harvesting rice. We were allowed to sleep in the chief's house, who was about our age. When the girls reach marriageable age (13 years old), a small stilt house is built next to the house. There the girl sits in the evenings and can be courted by the boys. Countless pigs, chickens and cows roamed freely in the village and every bit of compost was immediately recycled. The chief turned out to be a great cook and we ate very deliciously. On the descent the next day, we were attacked by hordes of aggressive tiny leeches, which we still dream about today. I have never seen Andrea run so fast.

We took the bus to the city of Luang Prabang. The temple city on the Mekong is a backpacker and tourist magnet, so there is no lack of amenities. French bakeries, coffee shops and bars line the streets - ideal for letting your soul dangle for a few days. We even had Swiss fondue! At the nightly night market you can find all sorts of knick-knacks and Andrea immediately had a skirt tailored. But of course, we also looked around in the area: The Kuang Si waterfalls, where you can also swim, were one of the most beautiful places ever.

We decided to take a boat up the Mekong to Thailand. The two days on board were very cozy. In between, the boat stopped in the middle of nowhere and Laotians disappeared into the woods with their purchases. At the border, we were able to continue by bus to Chiang Rai in Thailand, where the houses, streets and cars became increasingly modern.

In Chiang Rai, we rented a scooter and drove to the Golden Triangle. The border between Laos, Thailand and Myanmar used to be a major opium hub. The Thai Queen has even dedicated a very interesting museum to the drug trade. The next day we went to the Doi Fah Hom Pok National Park, where we could camp on the second highest mountain in Thailand. It was surprisingly cool. In the morning, we could relax in the hot springs - we had them all to ourselves.

Finally, we headed to Chiang Mai. We rode a motorcycle on the Samoeng Loop and visited a temple, a waterfall and a botanical garden. The next day we took a temple tour through the city center, met Mami and Erika in the evening, and went to the night market together. The two of them had brought an extensive supply of chocolate from Grosi! The next day, a Thai cooking class was on the program. Together with Mr. Visutt, we went shopping at the market and conjured up a total of 10 dishes. The highlights were the Chiang Mai noodles and the coconut soup (with homemade coconut milk). We almost burst!

Then it was time to say goodbye to the north for now. We all flew to Phuket together and drove to a resort right by the sea in Khao Lak. Here we spent wonderful 10 days lounging on the sun loungers and moved from one Happy Hour to the next. In between, we went diving in a reef and bathing with elephants.