The gf and I have both had two jabs and we decided to risk the Covid and take our first break of 2021. We thought first of Phu Ruea then we couldn't find an appealing hotel deal and we know from past experience that the eating options are limited up there, so we thought again and settled on Chiang Khan, a place we have only briefly stopped at before when travelling along the Mekhong.
The drive is less than 2.5 hours if all goes smoothly, so the holiday Friday morning we installed her daughter as dog-sitter at the house and set off along Route 210, the main East-West highway to Loei. The road is under construction and for a long way is a minefield of deep potholes. Shocking even by Thai standards. Once heading north away from the highway the road was rural through some pleasant scenery and a nice change from the flat rice fields of the Khorat Plateau.
We arrived at our hotel to find the Mekhong looking full and flowing fast.
Time for a late lunch, something simple, just chill by the river.