The main things that I learnt in Laos were; · The huge emphasis on education in Laos and how keen everyone was to learn and get the best education possible. · The potential there is in Biogas as an energy source. · The importance of family values in Laos and the lack of a welfare system for those in need other than the temple (see Saturday's blog entry). · The differences in schedules, organisation and planning between th...

I was up early to make the one and a half hour journey by mini bus to the village where the book party was to take place. On the bus there was me and four teachers, only one of them spoke English who was called Si. Everyone in Laos seems to have a one syllable name so I asked if their names had any meaning at all. They explained that a majority of people are named after something that happened on their birthday or on their appearance as a baby. There are many...

On Wednesday night I didn't sleep well at all due to a group of men who decided to have an all-night party at the guesthouse I was staying at. Thankfully the Chinese holidays were coming to an end so I was able to move to another guest house that was far better and cheaper. I decided I would give myself a well-earned day off to rest and explore the town. In the morning I went for a massage at a place recommend to me by another tourist and it was fantastic and jus...

In the morning I found the Big Brother Mouse office and sat with a member of staff and learnt all about the project. The office contained lots of books that tourists could purchase to hand out to children whilst they travelled around the country. One of the main aspects of the project was to deliver book parties to remote communities. The staff go out to schools and deliver presentation about the importance of reading. They then play games with the children and r...

The next day I was up early to catch the bus for the 8 hour journey to Luang Prabang. When I got on the bus it was pretty small and uncomfortable and the suspension was nonexistent so I thought it was going to be a long journey. However this was just the transfer bus that took us to a much bigger and swankier bus so the increase of tourists in Laos has definitely led to some things being dramatically improved as I have previously spent time sat squashed on tiny b...