Hey boys and girls!!

Well i have made it to Vang Vieng, yesterday in fact. Only been here for two days and off to Luang Prabang tomorrow so i have had to do a massive amount of cramming!!

I left Vientiene at 7am and took a four hour local bus journey... you think that is bad i still have a 7 hour one tomorrow and then a 10 hour and then a 24 hour to come!!! (the last is a sleeper bus so that is a little bit different but i'll let you know how that goes when i get to it)

ANYWAY, what was i saying? yes left bright and early so i could still do somehting when i arrive in Vang Vieng. The dorm i origianlly wanted to saty in was fully booked so i walked down the main street to find another and stumbled accross this cute little bamboo style lodge. The dorms are very basic, literally a materess on the floor cover with mosquio nets but the view from the window is something else!! Picture coming soon!

I met a lovely malayasian girl called pearly as soon as i walked through the door and within 20mins we had organised our next couple of days together. That day we decided to go tubing, and for those whoe don't know what the hell that is you basically sit in a massive rubber ring and float naturally down the river current. But Vang Vieng has a bit of a twist, it is party central of Laos so as you float down the river you get pulled in by make shift bars who give you free shots and free drinks, music, dancing, body paint and competitions where the prizes are, yes you guessed it free shots and free drinks! Although the notion of it all was tempting i didn't drink too much as it isquite a dangerous thing to do when sober so being drunk...yer you can imagine. There is a stupidly high death rate so i thought i best be sensible.

I met LOADS of people at the bars though, so many i can't even remember half of them. My favourites were a Candian girl called Sam and Austrian boy whos name i cannot spell so i will call him phill.

After all that drama and a nice warm shower we had a new dormy, Gus from Holland. So Pearly and i took him for some food and some drinks to get to know him. lovely chappy.

The next day i knew i had to make Toby Child proud, so i did what he reccommended and went caving! You would have been so impressed with me Toby! We (Pearly and I) went into three different caves clambering over rocks and squeezing through teeny tiny tunnels. The tour guide told us loads of horror stories about how people getting cocky and thinking they can do it without a guide and ending up really hurting themselves.

My favourite cave was full of water so we got the tubes back out and pulled oourselves up to the stop of the cave and let go of the rope and let the current whizz us back down. i reccommend this to anyone in the area! possbily the bravest i have ever felt!

We then went to a local market and our tour guide bought us loats of different food ao we could try a bit of everything. Was amazing. Bamboo soup is surprisingly good! I also ate some super super spicey stuff and nearly cried! Pearly touched her eyes which was a bit of a bad move and they all swelled up like golf balls.

When we got back into town we just lazed around and went exploring up the river, these last couple of days have been brilliant. But my time in Vang Vieng was ruined right at the last minute.... i got bitten my a giant red ant!!! haha. hurt so much you wouldn't even belive! but don't worry mum i have bug cream and tablets so i don't get an alergic reaction!

Anyway, i must love you and leave you and go pack for Luang Prabang and prepare for my seven hour bus journey. (please be air con please be air con!! in fact everyone cross your fingers for air con bus right now...go on... thankyou!)

and i will keep you posted on the ant bite, i am sure i will survive, might be tough but i'll manage!

p.s. Miss you Snoff