The 500 km distance from Phongsali to the Thai border town of Chiang Khong was an arduous 3 days of jolting, backbreaking, dusty truck travel. Each day was the same: unspecific departure times, arriving hours early to occupy a seat less likely to be enshrouded in dust, endure hours of cramped seating, and dismount battered, filthy and exhausted. When we finally reached Chiang Khong, the SP Guesthouse owner knew we had just arrived from Laos by the dirt on our clothes. "Welcome back to civilization," he greeted.