WED 17TH JUNE CHIANG MAI

OVERNIGHT TRAIN WAS AN EXPERIENCE-LEFT ON TIME,GOOD FOOD AND ARRIVED EARLY! STAYING AT PEOPLE PLACE HOTEL-VERY NICE ACCOMODATION.GOT TO HOTEL ABOUT 8AM AND SEVEN OF US WENT OFF FOR A GENTLE BIKE RIDE AROUND CHIANG M AI.30 KMS LATER WE GOT BACK TO OUR HOTEL A SWEATY M ESS-GOOD TRIP THOUGH! VISITED DOI SUTHEP TEMPLE IN THE AFTERNOON WHICH OVERLOOKS THE WHOLE OF CHIANG MAI. TOMMOROW WE ARE HEADING TO HUAY XAI IN LAOS AND THEN 2 DAYS ON A BOAT ALONG THE MEKONG TO LUANG PRABANG WHERE WE HOPE TO GO ELEPHANT RIDING AND KAYAKING

THUR 18

8AM CHECKOUT-DEPARTED IN TWO SMALL MINI VANS FOR THE LONG DRIVE TO CHIANG KHONG.STOPPED OFF NEAR CHIANG RAI FOR LUNCH AND SAW ONE TEMPLE.JOURNEY WAS PRETTY CRAMPED BUT ACCORDING TO MEL THIS WOULD BE THE LAST TIME WE TRAVELLED IN TWO VANS.
EARLY EVENING ARRIVED AT BORDER WHICH IS RIGHT ON THE MEKONG RIVER.AFTER EXITING THAILAND WE CROSSED THE MEKONG ON SMALL BOATS TO HUAY XAI AND GOT OUR LAOS VISA.THE PETTY OFFICIAL IN THE CURRENCY EXCHANGE REFUSED TO CHANGE OUR 100 DOLLAR US MONEY WHICH WAS KIND OF ANNOYING.ANYWAY WE MANAGED TO GET SOME DOLLARS CHANGED FOR LAOS "KIP". ONE US DOLLAR IS EQUIVALANT TO ABOUT EIGHT THOUSAND KIP!

OUR HOTEL ,ARAMID GH,WAS A TWO MINUTE TAXI RIDE AWAY.THE ROOMS WERE CHALET STYLE AND VERY BASIC.THE HUSBAND AND WIFE OWNERS WERE MOST AMUSING.HE TRIED TO TEACH US SOME LAOS WORDS AND TALKED ABOUT HIS TRAVELS-HE HAS VISITED 58 COUNTRIES.HIS WIFE SEEMED TO HAVE A GO AT HIM EVERY TIME SHE CAME OUT OF THE KITCHEN-ONE TIME WAVING A KNIFE-HILARIOUS!
WE ATE OUT AND HAD A VERY JAPANESE STYLE BBQ.THE IMMEDIATE DIFFERENCE WE NOTICED WAS HOW LAIDBACK AND RELAXED EVERYTHING WAS COMPAIRED WITH THAILAND.OUR FOOD CAME OUT IN DRIBS AND DRABS,SOME OF US HAD EATEN BEFORE OTHERS HAD GOT THEIRS!MIMI HAD THE WHOLE GROUP LAUGHING WHEN SHE CAME BACK FROM THE TOILET SAYING SHE HAD SEEN "A BIG PINK BUG THING WHICH LOOKED LIKE IT HAD A PRAWNS TAIL-A PRAWN COCKROACH"-IT TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY BIG CRICKET! MIMI HAS ANOTHER NICKNAME NOW-GIVEN TO HER BY OUR GROUP-PRINCESS MIMI.VERY APT! MIMI (AND ME!) HAS TAKEN A LIKING TO THE LOCAL LAO LAO WHISKY-VERY STRONG AND COSTS ABOUT A POUND FOR A BIG BOTTLE!

FRI

830 AM
SHORT TAXI RIDE TO MEKONG RIVER TO BE MET BY OUR GUIDE-VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND HIM!AFTER WATCHING SEVERAL PROGRAMMES BACK HOME ABOUT THE STANDARD OF BOATS,WE WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY OURS.VERY COMFORTABLE AND SPACIOUS-PLUS IT WAS ONLY US ON IT.THE SCENERY ALONG THE MEKONG IS STUNNING-SO QUIET.PRINCESS MIMI READ HER BOOKS AND SOME OF US PLAYED CARD.WE STOPPED OFF BRIEFLY TO SEE A REMOTE VILLAGE (NO ELECTRICITY)AND SEE HOW THEY LIVED,VERY EYE OPENING.PRINCESS MIMI WAS GLAD TO GET BACK ON THE BOAT AS SHE WAS SCARED OF THE CHICKENS!
WE ARRIVED AT PAKBENG (POP 2000)ABOUT 5.AS OUR BOAT NEARED THE SHORE WE SAW LOTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN RUNNING DOWN THE STEEP PATH.PRINCESS MIMI WAS DELIGHTED SHE COULD PAY SOMEONE (ABOUT A POUND!)TO CARRY HER BAG.THE POOR KID DIDNT KNOW WHAT HE HAD LET HIMSELF IN FOR CARRYING PRINCESS MIMIS BAG!AFTER ABOUT HALF A MILE WE REACHED OUR ACCOMODATION,SIVONGSACK GH.I GAVE HIM EXTRA BECAUSE HE LOOKED EXHAUSTED!PAKBENG ON LY HAS ELECTRICITY BETWEEN 6PM-10PM SO EVERYTHING WAS VERY BASIC.NO INTERNET HERE!AFTER OUR DINNER WE SAT ON THE ROOF OF OUR GUEST HOUSE DRINKING LAO LAO WHISKY BY CANDLELIGHT.NEITHER OF US GOT MUCH SLEEP-NO ELECTRICITY EQUALS NO AIRCON OR FAN-VERY HOT AND HUMID NIGHT.

SAT LUANG PRABANG

BACK ON OUR BOAT CRUISING DOWN THE MEKONG.FANTASTIC SCENERY.WE SAW LOCALS USING ELEPHANTS TO CARRY LOGS ETC.
STOPPED OFF AT PAK OU CAVES,A VERY SACRED PLACE WITH BUDDHA IMAGES AND PAINTINGS OVER 300 YEARS OLD.NOT SURE IT WAS WORTH WALKING UP 286 STEPS TO SEE IT THOUGH!
OUR GUIDE ARRANGED FOR OUR BAGS TO BE CARRIED OFF OUR BOAT,UP THE STEEP STEPS AND ALL THE WAY TO OUR HOTEL-BARGAIN FOR ONE DOLLAR!RIVERSIDE HOTEL WAS WELCOME RELIEF FROM PAKBENG-AIRCON AND TV!
LUANG PRABANG IS A VERY NICE TOWN-VERY LAIDBACK AND RELAXED.GOOD SHOPPING AND FOOD NIGHTMARKET.LAOS PDR-PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC-IS OFTEN REFFERED TO AS LAOS PDR -PRETTY DARNED RELAXED! THERE IS A NIGHT CURFEW HERE AND THE BARS ALL CLOSE AT 1130 ALTHOUGH THERE ARE PLACES PEOPLE GO AFTER THIS!?BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS WE WERE TOLD CYCLING IS ILLEGAL IN LUANG PRABANG.WE DID HOWEVER SEE A FEW WESTERNERS ON BIKES.

SUN

TODAY WE WENT ELEPHANT RIDING IN THE JUNGLE AND ALONG THE NAM KHAN RIVER.WE ALSO RODE ON THE ELEPHANTS NECK- GREAT EXPERIENCE!HOPEFULLY WE CAN GO AGAIN IN THAILAND.
AFTERNOON-FOUR OF US WENT KAYAKING.UNFORTUNATELY THEY ONLY HAD TWIN KAYAKS.I LOST COUN T OF THE TIMES WE VEERED OFF TO THE RIGHT-I THINK MIMI THOUGHT THERE WERE SHOPS OVER THAT SIDE! IF SHE HAD A KAYAK OF HER OWN I THINK SHE WOULD HAVE JUST GONE AROUND IN CIRCLES!THE VIEWS WERE BREATHTAKING BUT IT WAS VERY HOT.MIMI WANTED TO SWIM IN THE RIVER TO COOL OFF SO TRIED TO JUMP IN-NEEDLES TO SAY OUR KAYAK CAPSIZED AND WE BOTH ENDED UP HAVING A SWIM !

LATE EVENING GROUP ENDED UP IN A NIGHTCLUB JUST OUTSIDE TOWN.MIMI DANCED AWAY AND HAD A GREAT TIME.MUSIC WAS NOT MY TASTE.

TODAY!!

VISITED KUANGSI WATERFALLS AND BEAR LAO SANCTUARY FOR BEARS.WATERFALLS WAS COOL.THERE WAS A BIG ROPE THAT YOU COULD SWING AND DROP INTO THE POOL AT THE BOTTOM-VERY REFRESHING IN THIS HEAT.THE INTERNET NEARLY EVERYWHERE IS VERY SLOW SO WE ARE BEHIND WITH PUTTING PICS ON.
TOMORROW WE HAVE A FLIGHT TO VIENTIANE WHICH I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARDS TO.WE STAY THERE FOR TWO NIGHTS AND THEN WE ARE STAYING IN A HOMESTAY IN SOME REMOTE VILLAGE WITH VERY LIMITED FACILITIES-HELP!!
AFTER THIS WE ARE DUE TO ARRIVE IN VIETNAM ON FRIDAY 12TH.WE WILL SPEND ABOUT 10 DAYS THERE WITH THE LAST DAY ENDING UP ON MY BIRTHDAY IN SAIGON.

TTFN