Friday, February 17, 2012 The Loop!-Tha Khaek to Kong Lor cave, Laos Friday, February 17, 2012 Okay, so I know I may be a little late in the game, but I think that is the first time this year that I've typed 2012. When you're not in a steady job and day to day routine, there's no need for retaining such trivial information as dates. Anywho, I'm sitting on a deserted beach in Don Det, Laos. The world is still sleeping here, and I should be as...

Sunday, February 12, 2012 Vientiane and Tha Khek Vientiane is the capital of Laos and EVERYONE I spoke to told me there was NOTHING to do there and hated it. With such raving reviews, I debated whether or not I should even bother going there. I was still undecided when I ran into the Dutch twins on my last night at the Bucket Bar and they said they were headed there the following day. I decided to head off with them and am glad I did because ...

Sunday, February 12, 2012 Trying not to die VANG VIENG As I mentioned before, I had parted ways with my friends and was in Luang Prabang alone when setting off for Vang Vieng. I was worried the journey would suck alone and/or I wouldn't meet up with my friends once there. But, alas, I met my two Dutch "brothers" in the van and we instantly bonded and spent the next few days together in Vang Vieng. Job ("Joe") and Steven ("Steven") are students...

Saturday, February 11, 2012 Phonsavan and the not-so Plain of Jars After a few days in Luang Prabang, Tania, Ashley, Chad, and I decided to head to Phonsavan to see the Plain of Jars, a UNESCO world heritage site. The Plain of Jars is like a little "Stonehenge" of Laos in that there are huge stone jars in several fields and no one can explain their purpose. I had heard mixed reviews on the area but decided to risk the journey and was glad I did....

Saturday, February 11, 2012 CONFLICTED--Luang Prabang, Laos Luang Prabang is a really beautiful riverside city with an interesting history, including a strong French background, evidenced in the architecture around town. I spent the first few hours of my time there dodging tourists in and out of restaurants and bars and not feeling like I was in Laos. The next day, I went for a morning run around town and a local soccer field. Later, we went o...