Leaving Thailand for Laos in the morning!

Hello from Chiang Kong. Laos is a few hundered metres from where I am seated. I could see it across the river bank if the blinds were not closed. we cross the border in the morning.
We spent the day on the bus. two busses with a short stop in Chang Rai. 6.5 hours. Thailand is a breeze to get around... only complaint is the heaps of people trying to sell you shit like swarms of flies. All the time. when you're wearing a backpack it's like flys buzzing around you if you were smeared with shit and left in the sun. it's horrible. a little over dramatic, but it's really quite annoying. it's low season so they are really desparate for a sale... even to the point of wipping up tears, in the case of chang mai markets. we hope to escape the severity of this a bit by going to laos. perhaps it is better there? This is not our only reason for going though. it would be lovely to see.
20 baht for a two minute ferry ride in the morning to Huay Xai, Laos. 1500 baht ($45CAD) there for our visas, and we're into the country. Takes only an hour or two. This border crossing just recently opened up to forgeiners and we have avoided all packages offered... as they charge you 3 or 4 times this much and but you on a crowded boat for two days... we figure we beat the system... we'll see how it goes. and hopefully money is not too much of a problem, as the ATM machines there do not accept forgein cards, only in one city do they work... should be alright to get there with the cash I have, about 8000 baht...
alright. I've got a couple things to take care of and a good nights sleep to catch. wish me luck and I'll write again from Laos