Author Archives: angusmccoll

Poor Bali. Through little fault of its own doing, its popular southern beaches are magnets to ocean rubbish. I suspect the island’s geolocation and the surrounding ocean currents conspire to cause this environmental problem. Some of the rubbish is manmade but much of it is flotsam. First thing early morning the locals, who rely heavilyContinue reading “Monday 18 Feb 2019”

Bussed all day from Luang Prabang to Phonsavan. Clearing landslides from the road held us up for an hour.

Phonsavan for the day. Hired a scooter to visit the plain of Jars number 1 site and the quarry where they were built.

Spend the day going from Chiangkhong in Thailand to Huay Xai, just across the river border. I had to go through customs and immigration of course. Surprisingly a 30-visa this time was $30US. When I flew in to Vientiane it was $45 and to get a 30-day extension, it was $60! Don’t understand the differences.Continue reading “Saturday 12 August 2016”

Today I will take the slow boat to Huay Xai, on the Thai border. I pack up and leave my unimpressive guesthouse around 7am. I grab some breakfast then some food to take on the boat and wander down to the jetty. There are many boats lined up but it’s easy to get directed toContinue reading “Wednesday 3 August 2016”

Caught minivan bus from Pak Mong to Nong Kiaw. No ticket selling office in Pak Mong. Had to wait on side of road with a sign made by a helpful old couple. Nobody spoke English here. Very difficult to travel in this part of Laos in public transport.

Walked to the station and caught the bus to Chiangkhong. Comfortable trip that took about 7 hours. Walked to the same Homestay I stayed in last time I was here.

It’s pouring with rain. Catch the bus from Huay Xai to Pak Mong. Sadly it’s a stupid sleeper bus. I hate them. You share a bed with someone and they are not designed for looking out the window, which is the best part of bus travel. I can understand using theses buses at night butContinue reading “Sunday 14 August 2016”