Well we got here! Kayaking was definitely a better option than the alternative - admittedly it took twice as long but what better way to spend the day than floating down a tributary of the Mekong, paddling occasionally (luckily going downstream so not too much strenuous arm work required!) and having splashfights with the cheeky Laotian guides who looked after us (and tried to capsize us...). We traversed a few rapids, which was great fun, if perhaps more so for those of us who were sharing kayaks with experienced kayakers than those who were in single kayaks, which turned out to be very unstable (poor old Chris!).

Vientiane is a great little city - the riverside area is a stunning place to have a Beer Lao (what else?!) and watch the sunset, and there are fantastic restaurants and bakeries that really give away the city's French past. Particularly recommended is Le Provencal restaurant, where we ate en masse on our first night, a bit of a celebratory evening but with amazing steaks and delicious wine for a total of about $6 you can't really complain! On Caro and my last night, we found a string of food stalls by the river and had another great meal - you can't beat well-made Laos laap, with pad thai and fried rice to share! It really brought back all the reasons why we love SE Asian food so much.

The only problem with Vientiane is the HEAT! It is without doubt the hottest place we have been yet - the day after we arrived was spent at the swimming pool of a nearby hotel - it was just too hot to do anything else but swim and burn. We have been out and about a bit though - after the majority of the Tribe left (with big hugs and teary farewells!), Chris, Caroline and I went to see Vientiane's 2 proud monuments, the National Monuments of Laos. First up was Pha That Luang, a huge gold stupa that sits admist a beautiful collection of temples and palm trees. Next, we drove down to Laos' equivalent of the Arc de Triomphe, Patuxai. It looked pretty good, and underneath the shade and the cafe offered a bit of respite from the heat. Underneath the arch is an incredible mural of Buddhist images and Hindi gods, painted fantastic colours and gilded with gold leaf. There's also a sign, which says (in effect) "This is one of Laos' Victory Monument, which - due to the country's turbulent history - has never been completed. It looks pretty good from a distance, but up close it's a bit crap. Sorry about that." I love Laos' modesty.

We also took in the Beer Lao factory whilst we were here, as a tribute to the Tribe. Unfortunately, due to building work, the tours weren't running, but we were still blessed with free Beer Lao and a collection of Beer Lao memorabilia, which was exciting enough for us! Luckily, that made the trip worth it - it's much further outside Vientiane than you'd think (surely we were nearly in Thailand by the time we got there?!) and not only were we in the SLOWEST tuktuk in SE Asia, but after an ominous explosion from the back tyre, we found ourselves pushing it along the road in the searing midday heat, looking for a place that would fix it!

So yet again it's onwards from here, into Vietnam. We have a long bus ride to face as we journey from here to Hanoi - 20-odd hours (allegedly). I'll be sad to leave Laos - it's definitely been the highlight of the trip so far, it's an amazingly beautiful country and of course the adventures we've had and people we've travelled with have firmly put Laos up there in the "don't go to SE Asia and miss this!" category. A fab place.