Luang Prabang - one hell of an introduction to Laos. This place deserves its UNESCO Heritage Site status so much it's insane. A relatively painless trip over the Friendship Bridge (crossing borders - still a novelty!) and through Laos immigration delivered me into my 4th country, and a financially painful tuktuk trip took me to Vientiane airport. From there, it was a quick flight over to Luang Prabang, I don't want to use the word hop as it reminds me FAR too much of what the flight was like. Think constant turbulence, a firm belief that the wheels (just outside my window) were about to fall off during take-off, the incredible loudness of the propellers (yes, propellers) and the bouncing that had me wondering at which point we would plummet from the sky. Laos Airlines are truly wonderful though - courteous to the end, which was luckily on the runway at Luang Prabang. We're staying in a gorgeous guesthouse by the river, and on my first afternoon I wandered around in the on-and-off soft rain that hardly seemed to be wet. The river is ever-present, so brown and still so beautiful. The bank on one side is shaded with palm trees that give the most beautiful frames to the vistas on the other, the steep green hills dotted with wats (temples) that are very often only identifiable by the twinkling of their roofs in the sunlight. The whole town is SO stunning, every little road or lane leading down to another view, every temple a masterpiece, and always neighbouring a French colonial villa. There are monks everywhere, which do make you feel like you're staying in a religious Centre Parcs or something, but it's all part of the atmosphere. And the night market...frankly dangerous. Everything is laid out and lit up so beautifully that you could quite happily spend your entire travelling budget. Caro almost did (just joking!). I contended myself with succumbing to buying a Beer Lao t-shirt. Oh the Beer Lao! The ease of drinking it! This we discovered on my 2nd night in LP. Caro arrived with The Tribe (8 fantastic people - Hannah, Lucy, Chris, Newton, Kat, Tom, Rob, Chess - we miss you lots!) and we all piled into our guesthouse where another couple (Kenny and Emma - nos 11 and 12 of The Tribe) were also staying, coincidentally. We spent our first day altogether at the STUNNING Kuang Si waterfalls, and I do promise that at some point I'll get some photos up here so you can see what I mean! But picture a huge pool with water cascading in over many rocky ledges...it's gorgeous and we spent a beautiful day there. That evening, we went to the night market...then Beer Lao'd our way through a vegan feast (well for about 25p you can't complain there's no meat!), Hive Bar (horse racing anyone?!) and the tiny, secluded, keep-quiet-or-the-police-will-shut-it-down Vietnam Bar, a truly hidden-away place for after-hours drinking. That, in retrospect, may have been a little bit too covert for the more drunk (read: noisier!) members of the Tribe. But we partook of snake-fermented rice wine (thanks to Caro - and yes it's as nasty as it sounds!) and more Beer Lao and eventually...eventually...made it home. Some people's faces this morning have been a picture - and some people (naming no names Chris) have just wanted their mum to make them a cup of tea...! Some of us have spent the morning cycling round Luang Prabang, getting to see a bit more of it before we head via minibus to Vang Vieng. One benefit of large groups: private buses, our own timetables, and discounts in guesthouses! So it's onwards again, this time to Laos' "adventure capital". Don't read too much into that one...