The culinary offerings in Pakbeng made me dislike the place even more. The noodle soup I had for breakfast was total and utter crap and the sandwiches we picked up for late breakfast were plain disappointing. The local market shed a bit of light on the situation, here we got ourselves some sticky rice and various dishes in small plastic bags for lunch. The eggplant/chilly paste was a clear winner for me.

The northern part of Laos is still largely undeveloped and the road network reflects that. Going from Luang Prabang to the Thai border at Houay Xai by bus would mean 14 hours on dirt roads in a vehicle that is old twenty years ago. A more pleasant alternative is to travel on the Mekong. Every day slow boats leave for the two-day trip that requires an overnight stay in Pakbeng. The boats are basically as dodgy as the buses but they are definitely more comfortable and if something goes awfully wrong, the river bank is never far away.