Sooo the bloomin sleeping pills were a hazzard on this trip, oh boy where do we begin. So we left Vientiane at about 8pm headed for Luang Prabang - only 463km away but as per Asian times it would take 12 hours to get there. We got into our seats and everyone was settled seats all full and then another 20 people climbed aboard and they pulled out plastic stools and placed them in the isle. On top of the roof of the bus we had everything from double beds to toilet paper by the dozen and motorbikes!!! We all ended up having people surrounding us leaning on our shoulders and chairs, there was an asian at every hour of the clock so to speak. The worst thing was that the sleeping pills made you drowsy but there was no way that you could sleep so you just got sooo soo irritable, the driver with his music as loud as the loney on a saturday night wasn't helping so we had asians songs blearing from 8pm right until we stepped off the bus at 8am, a freaking joke!!!!!!

We found our accomodation for average price but we were so knackered we didn't care, so we went to sleep for 4 hours, showered and hit the streets. Our first impressions of Luang Prabang were good, cute lil streets again and easy to get around. We booked a tour for the next day and our van ride to Vang Viang (no more buses if we can help it in Lao). After a traumatising 24 hours we felt it was time for a traditional Lao massage - 40,000kip ($5usd) each for full body for an hour. Three lucky men lathered us up with oil and worked their magic, a couple were lucky or unlucky to get a boob flash and an long look at a white bum in a g-string during this (not ideal undies to be wearing at a time like that). It was the best massage to date sooo good and thorough working pressure points really helped us! This naturally led to more relaxing overlooking the mekong river suckinh back beer Lao and doing a restaurant Pub crawl enjoying or not enjoying (dont eat grenn papaya salad eew gross) at each place, then home to bed ready for our tour.

Our tour for the day had 8 people on board and the funniest tour guide to date! Our group split up and us 3 went to the Whisky villiage where we tasted andpurchased the strongest whiskey we could put our hands on - 55% and bought more skarfs and bracelets whilst being entertaind by our tour guide and filled in about culture and religion of the Lao people. It was a short walk to the elephant trekking pick up point and this was the moment Abbey had been waiting for all her life - no not elephant riding - a MARRIAGE PROPOSAL!!!!! Thats right everyone Abbey was prposed to in the middle of a dirt road in the Outback by Si the tour guide - check out the picks of the moment of all moments. He referred to Abbey as his wife for the day and ensurred that she was not in danger at any point and that her seat was always clean. The romance lasted only the day unfortunately but not one to be forgotten!

Britt had actually been waiting all trip for the elephant riding and it was pretty dam cool. Abbey had her own and Brit and Grace shared each taking turns to ride upon the neck of the elephant through the jungle. Check out our cool pictures. The elephants were a bit naughty trying to go off track and breaking trees and whipping Abbey with them as well as blowing elephnat salyvia from trunk on Abbey too!

Enjoyed a fried rice for lunch - in which Daf one of the wolf pack on the tour found and earwig in his, didnn't put us off though, thats what Lao does to you and it is not like you can ask for a refund it is no Ziffs cafe here!!

We wended our way down the road to the Mekong river and boarded wee boats over to the cave, not as impressive as the amazing caves in Halong Bay but still not bad! By this time, climbing and racing up the hundreds of stairs we were ready for a swim, so a 30km van ride and we were at the waterfalls. We trekked in passing by a bear cage with 8 bears in it and further up passinglots of waterfalls and pools at the bottom of them. Photos up the top then back to the pools for swimming. Oh my goodness so refreshing as the waterhole was cooler, a bit like the pool in qtwn. We could jump off rocks, swim under the waterfall and Abbey and Britt swang off the tarzan rope into the waterhole. They were amazing and crystal blue, which they stay like this all year round even in the rainy season!

A van ride into town and mingling with the van crew we organised to meet the Welsh boys in town at 9 for a boozaroo. The main reason for this is that they seemed pretty funny especially when Owen told us that last night he was huggng this canadian chick goodbye and just before he did, she literally wet her pants, such a nice guy he still went through with the hug, albeit from further away and outstretched arms, and said see you tomorrow - even though he didn't. So showered up and drank out or half of our whiskey (packed the rest and took it to town) and played drinking games, then met up with Owen and Daf at 9.But before leaving we noticed a sign that said the doors to our guesthouse would be locked by 12pm and after this time you had to look after yourslef! pft as if we were going to be home before 12, so we made a deal with one of the staff and he said if we knocked and called his name hed let us in. BOOM! the hard part was remembering his name...

Well these two were a real hoot, we began our night hearing about how they hadn't made it to the loo on a few occasions whilst in Lao, one actually fair caught it in his hands, we thought this was the best ice breaker to date and fair to say we all hit it off. Taught each other drinking games in town and along the river and then hailed a tuk tuk to the Ten Pin Bolwing alley as they have a cerfew here so if you want to be drinking out on the town after 11, this is the place to hit it.

We arrive at bowling and grace and abbey hand the driver what they believe and still do was 50000 kip. The driver comes back and says we only gave him 5000. With our past records of being ripped off we were not standing for this, as we counted and were down 50000. With rants of you are ripping us off $9 american dollars and the spirits will come get you for lying we still to no prevail got our 50000, and had to hand him over more money to pay. The incident was quickly forgoten with large Lao beers and 3 rounds of 10 pin bowling. Britt managed to pass off she was in the NZ bowling team, grace either got gutter balls or spares and Abbey was a key psych out person putting everyone off! Come 130pm it was time to hit home...but not without a laos slug feed - typical noodle soup on the side of the ride! hilarious!

Back in the tuk tuk and abbey decided to ride on the back tow bar...but that wasnt enough excitement so with the grin of a 5year old she put one foot down on the road as we flew 30km down the road, again not enough so she put her other foot down and became the drag racing queen - well almost an a&e patient she realised when she clicked how dangerous drag racing was (imagine water skiing, with no water, no rope and no skies - the boat being the tuk tuk) its amazing how much strength you find when your lifes hanging by a tuk tuk - literally!

Home again home again and we went a knocking whispering all sorts of names hoping we got the right one - chaing mai, bok chai, then bong chai, boom chai - we got it! and quietly we snuck in, well kiwi quiet - via the balcony to yell out to owen and daf that we made it in!

Morning came and death was not far from us! without mcdonalds or kfc around for a hangover slug feed cure we opted for the corner shop - ham and cheese crepes, chicken baguettes, oreo shakes, crisps, coke and water. Grace and britt made it back to teh room with 4 bags full where we stayed for 3 hours slugging in out of the hangover blues...

Come 3pm we finally dragged ourselves up out of bed and hired push bike with baskets once again! 30minutes along the river and a break was calling - coke and fires and a round of cards. Fully charged again on our bikes we went. We toured along both rivers, through the markets, down the back streets and squeezed in another chip and coke break! 2 laos boys hit the jackpot when they struck our vulnerability and were selling bracelets, they were on our wrists before we could say no and were in no state to say no so for 5000kip each we secured a bracelet.

Bikes were returned and we hit the night markets. many purchases were made, had the best noodle soup ever - we werent even drinking so actually got to enjoy!!! bed was calling, but not without an ice cream to finish off the longest day of our lives!

Up early and packed up, we got a crepe to take away and awaited our pick up van. 1 hour later and still not picked up we headed for the booking office to give them an ear full. They hailed a tuk tuk and said the van was waiting at the station for us. not even an apology given! We jumped in, picked up abbey and made it to the van. The bags got strapped to the roof and in we jumped, along with 5 other english girls.

Weve made it to Vang Vieng - Tubing Central!!!! fair to say our livers are aching at the thought of the next few days, and we better scoot as party time is in half an hour meeting up with daf and owen along with the 5 english girls!!!!