Thakhek - The nearest small town on the Mekong

In the evening, we arrive in Thakhek, a city that is mostly used as a starting point for the motorbike loop. We also plan to ride this 3 to 4-day loop with a scooter, but for now we will stay in Thakhek for two nights. We booked a bunk bed in a 4-person room at a new hostel for €10 per night. We share our room with a friendly French couple. The hostel opened just a month ago, so everything is still very new and in good condition. The sanitary facilities are outside, which I really like when the weather is nice, and the weather is definitely nice here! The owner is actually from Bangkok, but he decided to move to the countryside due to the poor air quality in Bangkok. His hostel is on the Laotian side, but Thai people can cross the border anytime.

Apart from looking for food, not much happens on the day of arrival and it is already difficult at 8 PM. Asians really have a different rhythm. But the most important thing is that we get two cold Beerlao on the banks of the Mekong, and that's not a problem :) Unfortunately, the food is not that great. The papaya salad tastes quite fishy (in Laos they are very generous with fish sauce in salads anyway) and my chicken curry consists of chicken legs, from which I can lick the skin, or not.

The next day, we explore the town, spend a lot of time in cafes, rent a scooter for the loop, and Max gets a new haircut. The man had a charming toothless smile.

In the evening, we go to a small restaurant a few meters away. During our walk in the daytime, Max thought it looked very cozy and he was right. We are greeted with two bottles of beer, which is very rare in service desert Laos. Since the owner doesn't speak English and there is no menu, a guest initiates a video call with an acquaintance who speaks a little English. The sound quality is so good that we don't understand anything, so we just nod along with what he says. Something about seafood and rice. There is a very familiar atmosphere and the people at the neighboring tables watch us with open-mindedness and friendliness. It feels like Myanmar again :) While we wait for our food, a little boy who is also a guest brings us all sorts of gifts (leaves, napkins, stones, a tile). Very cute :D The food is also very tasty and very cheap. Local restaurants can be more exhausting, but if you don't have any specific desires or demands and the people are open, it's always a great choice. However, it can happen that the waiters are completely confused by tourists and simply ignore them because they don't want to embarrass themselves.