Laos

Here's a few more photos for you...

Alan beside a really big drum in Hanoi

During our Sapa Trek in Vietnam

Sapa Valley

On our 2nd day of our Luang Namtha trek in Laos

A quiet night drinking on our last night at Coral, very quiet actually!

Alan should add some here too if he reads his emails...

Ok so now I'm on a decent keyboard I'll keep you up to date on what we got up to in the 2nd half of our Laos Soiree...

So we left Vang Vieng for Louang Prabang, we were told not to take the bus so we got a minivan, except they put too many of us in the 1st one, and only 3 people in the 2nd one. Luckily half way we got in the 2nd one so it was much more comfortable! All was going well until the storm arrived, We even got hail the size of golf balls!!! It was pretty cool, although the Irish girl we were with got a bit scared...

But we arrived in Louang Prabang, they have an excellent night market so we checked that out for a while. We had an early night, about time for Alan! The next day we looked around the old city, it's a world heritage site as it has so many buddhist temples mixed with old building with french architecture. It's quite a peaceful town and it was nice to walk around. We had a look in the museum of the royal family then walked up a big hill in the middle of the town to get a good view, it wasn't that great though, too many trees in the way. We had a late night at the bowling alley (it's the latest place for all the cool kids to hang out) that night after meeting a few people at the pub.
The next day we went out to a waterfall, it was quite beautiful, and peaceful as well. We had a swim, but it was pretty darn cold! We got back to town and just chilled out for a while, Grant had a really bad lunch so wasn't feeling the best. Never get buffalo stew!

So next it was up to Luang Namtha, it took us 9 hours to get there, it's only 300 kms away but the road is pretty attrocious at points. It was better than the 11 hours on the local bus anyway!

We got to Luang Namtha and organised our trek for the next day. And that night at the restaurant at our guest house we met a few people keen to do the same one, which made the next few days so much fun!

So up in the morning to do our trek, there were 7 of us (2 Poms, a German couple, and the obligatory Aussie). We did about 4 hours trekking the 1st day, then we arrived at a village and had a good rest and a swim in the river and a walk around the village.

The trekking crew by the river

The buffalo that was lazing by our hut

That night we had the most amazing dinner. We all get to eat with our hands which we both loved, and the food is all organic and so tasty! We had the chief of the village join us and we got to ask questions about the village which just made our lives seem so ridiculously and unnecessarily complicated. He was really nice and seemed to enjoy having the tourists visit. Oh and best of all, he's the chief by a vote! A mini democratic society!
We went off to bed early that night, not much to do with no electricity and just candles for company.

Up early in the morning, we had breakfast and started on our merry way at around 9:15. Today was the tough day as there were loads of leeches and the guide almost stepped on a few snakes... Alan was right behind him and was given quite the fright when Ket the guide jumped a few feet in the air! Leeches were just a nuisance, although we didn't get any on our skin, just socks and shoes.
We stopped at another village, was still quite nice, had another great lunch eating with our hands, had a rest and on up a steep hill we went. At the top of the hill we were all very sweaty but we walked along a bit and got views like these above the bamboo trees.

So we had a pretty good day, were shattered when we got back but shouted our guides a beerlao for being so awesome, they thought we were pretty awesome too! And beer kept flowing until around 10 when we all went to bed as most of us were up early in the morning for buses.

Ahhh Public buses in Laos... We got to the bus station at 8, the bus left at 9:30 when it was full (which includes sacks of rice on the floor) and 5 hours later we arrived at the Thai border. The Border is on the Mekong river so we had to cross that to get to Thailand. We got to the other side to find that we had a 2 1/2 hour wait for the minibus to take us to Chiang Mai, so we ate and drank and had a laugh with the lady at the restaurant who admitted that she loved money and wanted us to spent as much as we could there. And we finally arrived in Chiang Mai at 11PM. Quite a long day! So we wandered around the night market which is open until 1AM. But we were in bed at midnight...

So now you're all up to date. Next stop Bangkok, and then to the islands in the sun! Can't wait!

So after all the buses and trains we'd taken we were both kinda looking forward to the Flight from Hanoi to Vientiane, and after the 1 hour flight we arrive in Laos, by far the shortest trip we've taken yet. So after getting our Visa's sorted at the airport, we jumped in a taxi and went to our Guest House, and then set off to explore The Capital of Laos...

Our first impression of Laos is that it is Soo much more laid back and quiet then Vietnam, which we weren't complaining about. We spent the Morning and early Afternoon looking at the Wat's (Temples) once again we both got a bit Templed out, and we'd seen a sign taped to a Number of Power poles advertising Super 14 Rugby (Cane's vs Crusader's) at one of the Bar's, so we thought well, no better way to spend warm afternoon. When we got there though the Bar was full, there was a Book Group thingy going on inside, atleast we still got to have a couple beers and watch the second half. After the game we booked our bus tickets to Vang Vieng for the next day, killed a few hours then went had a Nice candle lit dinner by the river, Crickets aren't half bad to eat!!!

To Vang Vieang we go...

We get on the bus in the middle of town and off we go, to the bus station to pick up more people, then the bring on a couple Plastic chairs to put in the aisle for the people they'd over booked for (only 3) and away we go again. About 10 minutes into the trip they turn off the aircon, so everyone opens up the windows, 5 minutes from Vang Vieng they turn the Aircon on again, not that Alan would know he slept pretty much the whole way. So we get to Vang Vieng after a 4 hour bus ride, find a Guest House, and go get lunch then go wandering...
Not many people here at all, then between 4:30 and 6:30 the town just fills up from Nowhere. We'd booked a little Kayak/Cave/Tubing trip thingy for the next day.

So next day off we go for our little trip, after a little walk we get to a water cave and get handed a Tube and Headlamp the water was great and the cave looked cool so in we go with our guide. After a little way in we have to walk for abit, well Alan almost had to crawl, then back into the tube. After the tubing came lunch. After lunch we were off Kayaking, and all of a sudden we realised where everyone came from the night before, The River, Lots of people tubing don the river.
After about 30-40 minutes of kayaking we got out at one of the Bar's/river swings for a look and a swing.

And Yes Even Alan Did it, Grant was first though.

Alan the swinger

And Grant the swinger

After a short break there we were off again in our kayaks, the kayaking was over in another hour or so, ohh and it was a twin Kayak so both of us were in the same Kayak so obviously we got beached a coupe times, but there weren't really any decent Rapids to speak of the Kayaking got a little boring. We got back to town at about 2pm. We spent the next few hours sat in one of the TV bar there and watched 4 Movies one after the other with a few beers to wash them down.

So after watching everyone go down the river on tubes we decided it was out turn... So we had a day in the sun, doing a few swings and eventually meeting up with a few Poms, Canadians, and the obligatory Aussie who became our Vang Vieng friends. So we stopped at a fair few of the bars, and left the last one just a little too late and everyone got separated as it got dark. Grant being his incredibly smart self didn't have his jandals as Alan had the bag, cut his foot on a bamboo bridge and ran home to clean it out. Alan got back about 30 minutes later, Grant must be a better swimmer!

That night ending up being quite large, as our Vang Vieng friends enjoyed drinking... So we got home late after a very amusing night of laughing at the Poms as they were the drunkest!

So the next day we did it all over again, but this time we got out early so it wouldn't be dark and got a Tuktuk to town. Then we met up with our friends again, had a few beers, but Grant being a big girls blouse went to bed early. Alan kicked on until the early hours of the morning... Who knows what he got up to!!!!

We were up early to get the bus to Louang Prabang. We will update you all on this in our next post as this one is far too long already and these keyboards suck ass.

Ka kite
Grant & Alan