Crossing the border from Cambodia to Laos took 5 hours longer than expected - two of which were spent in a restaurant, another wondering across the deserted no mans land, whilst the first driver chilled, drinking with the cambodian guards, and we played boules with the Laos guards, another was spent on the side of the track waiting for our driver to realise the fact we had stalled a number of times due to him not keeping the revs high enough and that we could actually push start the van so that we could continue!! We eventually got the boat just before dark. The mekong was beautiful and it was great to be in Laos.

Don Khong is the biggest of the four thousand islands although it doesnt feel very big until you start the 4 hour bike ride around it! There are only a few guesthouses and restaurants. It was beautifully peaceful. It felt like a world away from Cambodia.

Don Det - After a few days on Don Khong we made it over to Don Det. We imagined it to be a tiny island so when we started trugging past bungalow after bungalow on the rivers edge we realised it wasnt so kind of the boatman to drop us off at completely the wrong end of the isladnd to where we wanted to be. After getting into another brilliantly small laos boat to take us a bit further back we arrived at some pretty shabby bunglalows. Everyone we asked said they were all the same same but different. We checked out soon after we checked in and managed to find some beautiful pink bunglaows with bright pink curtains and matching pink mosquito net - it may have had something to do with the lady that owned them loved pink as her pretty pink bow fastened at the top of her pregnant belly suggested. Duncn blissfully sunk into the hammock for four days - the hammock was the only place for him as, although he had recovered from the cold, he now had a frozen neck!!! He didn't get the chance to explore the island which was a shame. Got to have a little break from writing.....

Paxse

...breaks from writing are particularly big because we don't seem to stop for too long to be able to write updates. Sorry to those that have been asking me to keep up to date!!

Paxse was great. Not so much a great town but great people and we made a great trip to the Bolaven Plateau. An 80 km moped ride up to Tad Lo, a beatiful waterfall with a few bungalows around the bottom. We splashed out that extra two dollars for a room over looking the waterfall!! THe guys hurried off for a swim as soon as we got there and Odile and I agreed to meet them. We couldn't quite find the pool that they had decided to swim in so instead paddled around a series of pools trying to find one deep enough to cover our hips. We didn't find it. The guys found us in what we considered a safe, calm pool but apparently was not the safest place for us to be considering they open the dam every night, supposedly at sunset, which it was, apparently cascading water down to the pool we were paddling in!! I think it was fine...and the water didn't cascade until after we had safely returned. Our antics were alot safer than the mens - they seem to get over excited when there is water around and were walking back and forth at the top of a 100ft waterfall - maybe their feet have more grip than mine!!

Vientianne

Vang Vieng

Louang Phabang

Off to Hanoi - Vietnam (slightly relunctantly!!!)