Arrived in Loung Namtha on Friday after travelling up from a place called Nong Khiaw. The boat journey there from Loung Pabang was spectacular, only stayed one night before moving here. I suppose I am now about ten hours by road from Loung Prabang, the nearest 'town.'

This place is so rural once away from the main street - I hired a bike the last two days and toured around some pretty remote villages, seemed to be the only tourist too. I have never seen so many chickens, dogs, pigs, goats, ducks etc in my life - definitely free range! The town only has electricity between the hours of 6 and 9pm which adds to the experience - it really is an odd place compared to the commercial pace of Vietnam and Thailand. Its actually difficult to use your money. I tried to exchange a travellers cheque but you can only do this in a bank between monday and friday. In a restaurant they run out of beer and suggested I go and get my own from another shop. Sometimes you have to wake people up to pay them, tuk tuk drivers refuse work rather than negotiate a price -you just get the feeling that people here do not live in a commercial world where 'tourists are money' and are just content with what they have. Of course, this is in one way frustrating and in another way a welcome relief. There can't be many developing countries left in the world like here and I wonder given another five years.....

Anyway, its all great and an amazing place to visit, heading for the border tomorrow and back to Thailand if all goes to plan.

Some more observations of Laos:-

1 Tonight there was a full moon festival in the next town meaning that everywhere here was closed. Luckily the indian restaurant was open. Would everyone just starve if all the indian restaurant owners decided to take a holiday whe they felt like it? Its always the last place to close in every city. Met an Israeli gut who had never had indian food, like what?????

2 Stepped in the biggest water buffalo pat ever crossing a stream. I thought it was a rock. Expected to look up and see the whole herd pissing themselves...

3 Never arrive in rural northern laos with a lack of funds expecting to be able to change up money - you too will eat noodle soup the whole weekend....

4 My bathroom is on the far side of the downstairs restaurant behind a screen curtain. Its great walking through a restaurant in your towel saying good morning to a packed breakfast crowd. The kitchen is of course next door to the 'squat' toilet.