Earplugs, helmet, life jacket: with the speedboat I race from Luang Prabang up the Mekong for 6 hours (through, how could it be otherwise, wonderful scenery). 8 people fit in the boat – with so much space that the legs hurt. Somewhere in the Golden Triangle (no opium fields in sight) I cross the border, drive to Chiang Mai and from there on to Pai: a small town, with a relaxed flair – almost like in Laos.