When we got back from our trek, we spent a day going to a waterfall. It was very beautiful and we climbed up to the top where there was a little spot to swim. We jumped off the rocks from ten feet up, which was kind of fun, but a little scary, too. It's always nerve racking swallowing (or taking up the nose) river water from a remote Asian country. It was a very wet day, but that was just a prelude for what was to come. Cheryl and Lara, once again avoidi...

After a few too many days in VV (due to some upset tummies) we finally made our way up north to Luang Prabang. The drive was long, but at least it allowed us to see a little more of rural Laos. We passed village after village on our six-hour journey. It was time to get out to the hill tribes we'd heard so much about, so we went looking for a guide. Much like Vietnam, it had become abundantly clear that we were not going to follow the tourist masses; when ...