HELLO ALL!

As you may have noticed, there has been a delay in broadcasts for the past week or so ... but now we are back in the 'technoloical world' and can give you the update.

After a great time drinking and tubing in Vang Vieng and finishing out the Lao New Year in style, we jumped on the bus (a day late!!) for the long, winding road to Luang Prabang. The trip had some great scenery, but after 8 hours on a an overful bus without a/c @ an uphill speed of 20km/h, we were glad to hop off in search of accomodation.

Luang Prabang is a very traditional, with heaps of wats (temples), monks, markets and vendors. You could spend a week alone travelling the area looking at all the wats and religious icons, but we didnt have that long so we checked out a couple as well as the local waterfall.... It was awesome. The waterfall consists of the actual fall, plus many pools in the limestone rock on the way down where families and tourists hang out and have a bbq or picnic and swim or whatever. The limestone rocks underneath the stream, gives the water a weird torquoise colour and in the heat/humidity is soooo refreshing and fresh. We also spent several hours a night checking out the local wares at the night market. They close off an entire street and vendors seup in the road with their gear. We bought a stack of things like donna cover, bags, shirts, skirts, etc, etc all very cheap.

After spending a few days in Luang Prabang, giving ourselves a break from public transport and what we thought plenty of preparation time for the 2 day boat trip to Houay Sai on the Thai-Lao Border, we boarded what is probably best descibed as a massive dugout canoes with a sheet metal canopy and timber bench seats that are placed at angle so your arse cannot fit on the lower part without putting your back at an angle uncomfortable for even one of those chinese circus gymnist that can fit inside a box. Fortunatley, for me it only took 2 to 3 hours for my entire lower half to go numb and i didnt notice the pain in the following 6 hours journey on day 1 and 9 hours on day 2. However, it was an experience, and we made it without too many long term injuries and a beautiful view of untouched Laos along the way.

The boat journey ended in Houay Sai, a border town with not much but a few restuarants and a chilled out atmosphere. We would have passed right through here but for the much talked about 'Gibbon Experince'. The 3 days and 2 nights we spent in the jungle abnout 50 km out of Huoay Sai were fantastic! In true Laos style not much was explained, and times and distances we were given regarding depature and trekking we more of rough estimations that actual details. but never the less it was great!! Much of our time our there was taken up by trekking from one place to another or by 'zipping' between tree houses. 'Zipping' being, jumping on a 1/2 inch steel wire (tied between 2 trees) with a harness and roller, and practically just sliding on the wire 150m meters above the ground at probably fastest of 40 km an hour. REALLY FUN!!! Amazinly, you dont even think about the hieght or the fact that you are hanging off a wire with only a piece of rope as you support, you just enjoy it.... then when you finished all the trekking and zipping for the day, everone retires into a tree house suspended at the same height above the ground, where there is a bed, gas cooker, furniture, shower and drop toilet (and yes it is quite interesting getting use to hearing the plonk a minute or so after the event).

A highlight of the experince, was of course seeing the gibbons. When we arrived, we were told the likeliness of actual seeing the Gibbons was pretty low (the name just comes from the conservation effort regarding the gibbons), but on the second morning the Gibbons started thier calling, as they do every morning at 0700 or so, so we looked out our tree house and just across the valley was a group of them jumping about causing a rucuss!! They carried on for about 30 minutes, then disappearred into the jungle... We were the only ones in the group to see them! Pretty awesome.

When we returned to Houay Sai, we were absolutely b*****ed, due to the long treks and early mornings. We jumped onto the first boat across the river to Chiang Khnog into Thailand (with the most relaxed pasport border check yet) and grabbed a room at a nearby guesthouse. Was late afternoon so we got some dinner, which was a perfect intro into thai food (curry and pad thai for 55 baht or $2.75), then hit the sack. In the morning we had a quick look around the small town and then got on a bus for the 7 hour jouney to Chiang Mai.

Now we are here, Chaing Mai. There are heaps of thing to do and we plan to spend a week or so doing them.... But you'll have to wait for the next entry to hear about it >>>

Until then, take care, miss you all

Andrew & Amy