Update 4: The last one before back in real time!

First stop in Laos across the border was Huay Xai but as nothing happens here the next day we headed towards the remote North where trekking was supposed to be a bit special. So we arrived in Luang Namtha and decided to see what sort of tours were on offer but with the price seeming high and us feeling either adventurous or stupid we decided to tackle a 60km bike road to Muang Sing, stay a night and then return the next day. Not having exercised in the last 2 months, ridden a bike in god knows how many years, not having a local guide or even a map and only some water, pringles and biscuits for sustinence we set off. It was tough work along the mountain ride but the tough climbs were rewarded with some exhilirating downhills. 5 hours later with a very sore body we arrived in Muang Sing, just 10km from the Chinese border. I put the thought of having to do the whole trip again the next day out of my mind and enjoyed a good meal and an early night. The trip back was equally as tough but the hardest bit was near the start so things got less tough halfway back. However Stu's bike broke so while he hitched a ride on the back of a pick-up I finished the 120km round trip. It was a great adventure and the difficult bits were made easier by the most spectacular scenery all around you can imagine and every time you pass through one of the minority villages all the cute little kids run out with a huge smile on their face to say sabaidee (hello) to the strange white people!

Laos is famous for great views and saw a lot more of them as we took the slow boat down the Mekong River towards Luang Prabang. Would have been nice after 2 days of cycling to have a comfy seat but that just wouldn't be Laos! Finally arrived and it is a beautiful town with the buildings having quite an old French colonial feel. There is a curfew here which makes big nights an impossibility but it also means that it retains the charm of the old city it is and the very relaxed vibe that the place has. It should stay that way as it has luckily been made a World Heritage Site which makes any development there pretty difficult. While I was there I went to the famous Kuang Si waterfall which is an awesome sight and has the brightest blue pools at the bottom you can imagine and great fun is to be had on the rope swing over one of the pools!

Next stop was Vang Vieng for the very famous (amongst travellers) tubing. The town itself is pretty tacky and the total opposite of Luang Prabang with every restaurant just selling mainly Western food and having Friends, The Simpsons and Family Guy on the tv. It's bizarre and hard to describe but those not out on the river tubing lie in the bars just lazing around on cushions on the floor watching the tv! The tubing itself is great fun and totally addictive. You just hire a tube (the inner bit of a tractor tyre I think) and get a life up the river. From there you lie in your tube and let the current take you along the river where all along there are bars on wooden stilts that bring you ashore where you have some alcohol and then go on a big rope swing or zip wire into the river. Safety last in Laos and getting hammered and then jumping off a huge platform is maybe not wise but brilliant fun. The scenery here is also amazing but the parties at each bar are definitely more appealing and you meet some great people along the way. It being Australia Day for the first day meant for an even bigger party atmosphere. At the Last Stop Bar it is kind of tradition to order off the special menu which makes for an interesting time from then on and an unforgettable experience. Somehow made it back to the town but was in no fit state to carry on drinking. The best cure for a hangover is to drink again so me and the Aussies went out again the next day for more tubing, more chilling out, drinking and then swinging out into the river. Its a must in Laos and a lot of people end up staying here for absolutely ages tubing in the day and if they are up to it, partying in the evening on a little island in the middle of the river.

Laos was finished off in Vientiane which lived up to its reputation of being a pretty dull place. There seemed to be very little to see or do in cultural or fun terms and so we ended up bowling 2 days running while I waited for my Vietnam visa to be processed. The best bit was I confirmed my change of itinerary so that Im now off to Peru and Bolivia with Emma in June which is massively exciting. Stu was not coming to Vietnam so we headed our separate ways and from now on I am a lone traveller and ready to see what the rest of the world has in store for me but first I must endure the 24 hour bus journey to Vietnam!