Street market

Yesterday was our final day in Laos.  We went for a final walk around before leaving our hotel for the journey home.   This street market was directly in front of our hotel and started around 4.30 am.  The toll of the Temple bell at 3am woke us a couple of times,  the Temple was next door to us. 

I am glad that we visited Laos, it has spectacular scenery and beautiful people.  Whilst there we also visited a Bear Rescue Centre, it was in the grounds of a waterfall.  They had apparently rescued one bear a few years ago and now have about 70 ranging from very young ones to large mature bears.  Some had been pets, others performing bears.  

We also watched a school yard become a tourist attraction as the infant school was discharged into the play ground and little children, in unilforms, charged around playing chase, throwing some poor child's jumper between each other, and doing all the things children do.  We were having coffee across the road, but the their shear enthusiasm caused passers-by to stop and watch.  

The journey home was long and tedious with lots of hanging about due to delayed flights.  We spent almost an hour queing at Thai Immigration, after having been driven around the airport on one of those airport buses, only to discover that, as our bags were checked right through we could bypass the  main crowd and use a small immigration area.  We finally made Chiang Mai and as we followed the CIQ route found ourselves in the baggage area before any luggage, or so we thought.  Whilst trying to find the correct conveyor I spotted my case standing on the floor, hubby's case was a solo passenger on the belt.  

We knew we were back in Chiang Mai when we passed a motorcycle crash on the way home, there were two people involved.