What a journey, I hope I don't have anymore like this coming up-I'm not going to check. 7 hours on a bus (although it was a comfy private bus) up and down small winding roads through the mountains. I sat myself near the front because I felt really travel sick last time, other perks include being able to see more and also listen to the driver coughing and hacking which seems to be the done thing so far....I won't miss the spitting one bit.
Yang said our first toilet stop was the most beautiful toilet in Laos, he was right about the view atleast. As you sat on the toilet there was no wall in front of you just a view across the mountain tops...pretty weird but quite nice.
It's interesting and a bit sad to see how people live here, every now and again there'll be someone working at the side of the road and it feels a million miles from anywhere. A group of kids going fishing. A family washing in the river. Little villages at the roadside some with just a few houses, mostly basic made from wood but occasionally a brick one that looks like a palace, even one or two that are painted. There was a little boy probably no more than 4 years old waving to our bus with one hand and with the other holding dead squirrels up by their tails for us to buy. Some of the huts are literally off the edge of the mountain, held up by skinny bits of wood and branches, you can see in places where there has been landslides during wet season. While I was enjoying the lovely view someone was sick and a bit went on my leg, I handled it very well I thought (I can hear you all laughing).
When we got to our lunch stop we were so relieved, until we saw the lunch stop. It was filthy and dark and just horrible. We were shown to a table covered in flies with rubbish and bits of food underneath, luckily the local dog was eating most of it. I chose not to eat any of the food here for the sake of my stomach, I grabbed some bananas (the only fruit I trust hasn't been touched or had flies on it) and some crisps. There was a section on the menu 'Wild Animal', Bom said it was deer, bear, pig, bird etc. He asked if I wanted to see something weird, obviously I did. Round the corner a massive glass jar containing bear feet still with fur and claws and the other deer hooves, mixed with some kind of liquid and ready to drink for medicinal purposes?! I don't need to say anymore about that.
Finally we arrived at our hotel, happy faces all round. Yang took us to watch the sunset on p**** Mountain, I think it's spelt with a Ph but my way is funnier plus that's how he kept pronouncing it. After dinner we hit the night market to haggle over pennies before feeling really bad that you just knocked 50p off something that was already cheap.

Up and out for a run before our most exciting trip so far - Nam Ou Elephant Farm (apparently the name will be changed soon, farm is not a good word to use). The one hour drive in the bumpy tuktuk was well worth it when we saw the elephants, especially the baby. First we got to feed them, sugarcane and bits of banana tree, they were so gentle taking it from us. The baby kept jumping up like a dog and leaning on the fence....luckily the bigger girls didn't try it. Then we went in two's for a walk along the river, it was a bit scary when they all decided to run into the water and there was a little scuffle around the baby. A couple made their little trumpet noise that they make. When we got back we were able to take them down to the river and help with bath time. She seemed to like being scrubbed, sure she would have drowned me if she didn't. It was the best thing I've done so far, they were lovely gentle animals I don't know how anyone could hurt them. Apparently they had all been bought as working elephants, their days are now spent living there, with tourists and then off into the jungle with their mahout to keep any eye on them doing what elephants do. It looked like they are well treated and I would recommend a visit here.
We headed back to grab lunch and then were off to a waterfall for the rest of the day. Obviously with a big group everything takes longer, not everyone is on time and it can sometimes be a little noisey... I was in desperate need of a time out...it's been a long 3 weeks! Rather than shouting and making everyone hate me even more, I turned my back on everyone, put on some music and just enjoyed the view. Driving through the mountains in a tuktuk, with the wind on my face, good music playing I managed to forget everybody else and just enjoyed seeing all the lovely things that passed and remember how lucky I am to be here and what an amazing opportunity I have. I think me and Alan had the same idea, our little smile of mutual appreciation said it all & now I know why he has his earphones in the majority of the time. I felt much better afterwards.
The waterfall was beautiful, a million times better than the dirty blue lagoon. After a slippery walk for photos we went for a swim, I managed about ten minutes before the biting fish got too much.
The evening was all about getting rid of what money we had left before getting on our boat for 2 days along the Mekong river into Thailand.
Before getting picked up we had time to go to the main street and watch the monks, every morning they walk the streets to collect food donated by locals and tourists (I think it was called giving alms). It seemed to be mainly sticky rice and fruit, some of the others took part I just took photos. There was a little girl there who was no more than 7, she had a little cardboard box and was there to ask the monks for food because her family needed it too.

I've enjoyed it here, done some fun things I'll always remember and the food has been good (finally), now off on the boat for 2 days....hope they have a life jacket for me.