The group roll off time was always early which defers from my usual slow pace sleep in time up to 9am. It was time to ajust to group tour mindset. We reached the border of Thailand at 730am and the border was yet to open so we hang around till 8am and process the exit procedure.
Exit thailand was normal and then it was entering Laos. Group Leader Faz had a Laos guide, that was waiting for us at the border. Group of bikes more than 5 required a guide to facilitate in Laos vehicle entry which was something new to me since the last time I crossed this border with Bluey in 2018 was alone.
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| Group Bike Entry into Laos - Huay Xai Border |
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| Imigration at Laos - Huay Xai Border |
Very slow border crossing as usual and we more or less entered Laos late morning and immediately it was a ride immediately to Boten about 200km journey to the border town between Laos and China. The roads were just as I remembered them in 2018, nice road with sudden potholes and many small streches of gravel road. We only had one pit stop at Luang Namtha for some coffee and I lagged behind so much I was the last of the last, even further behind the guide vehicle and beyond sight of the mopeds.
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| Laos Simply Beautiful View never cease to amaze me |
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| The roads were good .... and then not so good ... Route AH 3 - Huay Xai to Boten |
The mopeds was two Honda supercup ex5 callsign Kambing, and one Yamaha NVX which rides two people. By the time i reached Boten, I was so far behind that they had all checked into the hotel and dispersed to do their own thing. I still had no idea whom would be my roomate for the China leg and Boten was a solo room for RMB 120 for the night. Weird town as its still in Laos but totally feels like a subsidary of China.
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The newly opened in 2023 Railway Station in Boten
Train Lines from Kunming - China to Vientiane - Laos |
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| The Border Town of Boten - Laos |
Boten was a town I had not been to. I had been to Boten first gate, but did not know there was a town beyond that gate and that the immigatrtaion was beyond that. The town was already as if we were in China without the regulation. Everything was in RMB, the people all speak mandarin with almost no Lao languege. The town no longer had any gambling activities but was full of pubs and open shops with pink lights. The Laos guide told us those were massage shop with a twinkle in his eye.
It was a border town like in the stories but without the filters.
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| Hotel in Boten |
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| Night Street Food in Boten |
Next day we set off early again and exit Laos border and says good bye to the Laos guide which wished us all the best and will await our return after 10 days in China. In a way this crossing is the least understood crossing that I have ever been to since its a first for me with a guide. The guide took our passports and processed all the exit requirement of personnel and vehicle while we just laz around taking photos. An hour later we were good to go and just ride on passing though the gates and exiting Laos
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| Golden Gate Border at Boten |
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| Just bringing our own Chair to Chill while waiting to Exit Laos Border |
200 meters away was China border and our guide for the next 10 days was there waiting with excitement in his face.
Bing would be a good friend to us all during the trip in China for the next 10 Days.
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| Entering China - Mohan Border |
Traveled on: Jun 2023
