I'm gonna be on a boattttt ya'll!!!

Woke early this morning to what first sounded like propaganda being blasted from the Laos side of the Mekong River but figure must be the Saturday call to alms for the local monks as the loud and awakening voice and music (use this term lightly) is coming from a temple across the way... Mist is surrounding the water and the river appears a bit spooky but not as large as one would envision (maybe twice the size of the Santa Ana River after a rain).

We are boarding the slow boat down the Mekong shortly but the currency situation in Laos is a bit confusing. Our host at the Easy Riverside Guesthouse (Sy-young) is trying to explain that there are SIX ATM's in all of Laos and 7 here in Chiang Khong - but Laos kip are useless everywhere in the world outside of Laos and the US dollar is the preferred means of exchange. Soooo get ripped off on the baht (Thai money) to dollar rate here, use baht in Laos or wait two days to get Laos kip?

Will post again sometime soon on the other side of the Mekong...