My Journey along Route 13 in Laos

It was 15th January 2019 and I had been on Route 13 in Laos for almost 2 weeks now..

This road runs along the Mighty Mekong river, which acts as the natural boundary between Thailand and Laos.

This road wasn’t an acquaintance anymore. Route 13 had now became dear to me.

When you go unplanned, without baggage and tourism, and let the road lead you, the road becomes dear to you. The road becomes a part of you and you become a part of the road.

And being the offbeat traveler you are, you know you’re going to venture out on the side-roads and the road knows that too. And she knows you’ll come back to her.

Then there are others on the journey. And they know this too! We all know our paths are going to merge on the public road.

Allons! to that which is endless as it was beginning-less, 
To undergo much, tramps of days, rests of nights, 
To merge all in the travel they tend to, and the days and nights they tend to, 
Again to merge them in the start of superior journeys,
To see nothing anywhere but what you may reach it and pass it, 
To conceive no time, however distant, but what you may reach it and pass it, 
To look up or down no road but it stretches and waits for you, however long but it stretches and waits for you.

The road waits for you. And let’s you venture free.

I decided to stop by every interesting village I found on the road. And after a 10 days offbeat adventure trip, I decided to spend the next week just living the local life like the Laotians do.

Laos is known for the slow, sleepy culture and it was my pleasure to indulge in this slow-paced life.

Here are some of the simple, yet beautiful, moments from my local Laos life on Route 13!