We left Bangkok by bus at 7pm, destination Vientiane, Laos. Our bus broke down on a major road in outer bangkok, we were beginning to think we were bad luck! The driver sorted the problem luckily and we were back on the road just 1 hour behind. We arrived the following day and spent some time exploring the town and getting our bearings. We had dinner at Sticky Fingers and had a few drinks on the river before the mozzies set in! Stopped in a cool jazz and cocktail bar Deja Vu before heading home.

Wednesday we started off with a walk down to Talet Sao market which was a little disappointing but you cant expect much here I suppose! Jumed in a tuk tuk for a ride to Patuxai which turned out to be a 2min walk away. Of course the driver failed to mention that and we paid him a quid for that journey! Patuxai is a poor replica of Paris' Arc De Triomphe bulit in 1969 to commemorate the Lao who died in the war. We climbed the stairwell stopping at each floor to look at the stalls and then took in the view of the city below. The heat in Laos is unbearable so we got a tuk tuk back t o our hotel. That night we played pool in a bar with some locals whch was fun, especially when Chelsea beat their best player!!

Thursday morning we took the bus to the nearby town of Vang Vieng which is on the Nam Song river and surrounded by stunning peaks. We stayed in a bungalow about 20 minutes from the main part of town. The guest house was right on the river and the open restaurant had a great view. That evening we had a quiet one in a local restaurant and a bar run by ladyboys for a game of pool!

Friday was our highlight of the trip in Loas, we went tubing. Its basically floating down the river in a huge rubber ring stopping at bars along the way. All the bars have swings and zip lines that are high above the river which were so much fun! Combine that with the cheap cocktail buckets and beer Lao and you have a day long party! We started at 11am and joined a group at the first bar. You can float down the river in 2 hours or so depending on the conditions but with all the bars and swings we finished after 6pm. Some people were still gettng back after 9pm! We also played volleyball at one bar which sobered us up for a while. All in all one of the best things we have done so far and would go back just for the tubing!

In the evening we went out with the guys we met for dinner and a few more drinks. You can even ask for the 'happy' menu in most bars which has happy pizzas, happy spring rolls etc. Dont worry nan we stuck to the regular pizza!

Due to our hangovers and sore bodies from the jumps we decided to head back to Bangkok. We left at midday on sat and arrived at 5am sunday. We checked into Marco Polo Hostel as it was nearby and cheap but not very nice! We slept a few hours before going to see Harry Potter at the VIP cinema. Reclining seats, blankets and waiter service for an extra 2quid! When wegot back we decided to check into another hotel The Star Dome Inn for a bit of comfort and a sink! (MP didnt have one!)