I decided to stop walking. This time, I was thinking of giving them a good fight if ever they attack me.

And then they stopped and one of the guy said, “Are you looking for a hostel? We own one down the road and we have a vacant room.”

F*ck!!! What a relief!!! I hate it when paranoia kicks in whenever I’m walking alone on an empty dark street.

So I tagged along and checked it. I knew it would be the best for the night because it was so far the cheapest that I found even though it’s still above my price range.

I checked in, went inside my room and dozed off.

I woke up really hungry because I didn’t have dinner before I slept. I left my room and realized that I woke up really early, around 6AM and there were not much people on the street.

I started wandering around, looking for a cheap place to eat and at the same time looking for a cheaper hostel. Most of the hostels were fully booked, even the small ones and I didn’t find any dormitory as well. The only way I could save was if I share a room with another person and book a twin room and split the cost.

I stopped by a small street side café and put my hostel hunting into a halt. I needed food really bad, I was so damn hungry. I was gobbling up my breakfast when the guy on the next table started chatting with me. He just arrived from a very long trip which I think started in South America. He spent a few days connecting in different continents and slept in different airports and he was also looking for a hostel. I asked him if he wanted to share a room with me so we could save up some money. He agreed and we went hostel hunting and found a twin room.

Wow! So it’s true that the universe does provide. Now I have someone to split the cost with for a few days. Thanks!!!

Welcome to Luang Prabang!

Luang Prabang is a city in the north of Laos. It’s a World Heritage Site and it’s full of temples and nice French structures. There’s also an abundance of riverside and street side restaurants that serve local and foreign cuisines. For a poor traveler like me, there’s the market where you can buy baguettes or some street side vendors that sell cheap noodles.

I rented a bike for a couple of days to tour around the city. Most of the activities that I took didn’t include paying tour agencies. But if you want more options, you could always drop by a travel agency and bargain with their packages. I’ve seen some who offer elephant jungle trekking, river cruise, a trip to some waterfall etc.

There’s also a night market which I found really amusing. Luang Prabang is a charming tourist town. And since it’s a tourist town, it’s a bit pricey, convenient and perfect for neophyte travelers or yuppies on their vacation.

After about four or five days of lounging in Luang Prabang, we split up. I’ve decided to go to Vientiane and he went to Huay Xai to do the Gibbon experience.

On my tuktuk ride to the bus station, I met a girl I saw in the Indian restaurant the following night. I remembered she was eating alone and I accidentally glanced at her and I smiled and she smiled back.

It turned out that we’re both going to Vientiane and would probably be on the same bus.