Border Crossing : Laos to Vietnam via Na Meo/Nam Xoi

Got up early and got out to the highway to catch the morning truck heading to the border from Sam Neua. The Dutch couple were also crossing the border. Truck came through about 7:45am, cost 15,000 Kip to the border. The border itself is very small but they are in the process of building a bigger crossing, stamped out of Laos, last day on my visa as well. Then walked to the Vietnam side where we stamped in and had our bags searched, nothing serious just a cursory glance through. Found out we were in luck as it was Sat and there was a bus running to the coast to Thanh Hoa that left around lunch time. Bus was packed out with people and goods but were given good treatment as we payed foreigner prices, $10 US each, down from $15. Was a long and windy bus ride down out of the mountains and many stop and drops on the way, got into Thanh Hoa at 8pm, could only find $10 US rooms and no one spoke any English.