Today is our last full day in Laos. We have just arranged our transportation to Siem Reap, $40 each. We leave tomo morning 08:00 by boat to the mainland, and then catch a mini bus to the laos-cambodia border. From there we will change to another bus which will take us to Stung Treng. Here we change again and head westwards for a over night stop in the midde of nowhere, Kampong cham. Then 7am the next day we travel to Siem Reap and arrive there 11am (16th). Like hell is that ever going to go to plan!

We arrived in Laos on the 4th, we took a sleeper train from Bangkok to get there. That was good fun. Its like bunk beds, Amy had top, I had bottom. We managed to sleep a little but we had some nattering old Thai women all the way. We arrived early on the 4th just short of Laos border. We ended up having a few issues with getting our Visas, due to cash shortage but we managed to get that sorted. We were confused with how much to pay as they use about a million different currencies here, ok...only 3, still with me and Amy's maths ability it was hard going.

We got into the capital of Laos, Vientiane around Midday. We booked into a nice hotel in the centre by a really beautiful water fountain. Only $16, a little more than we would have liked to pay, but we were only staying one night. We did some sight seeing for the rest of the day, it was bloomin hot that day, about 36 degrees.. whoooo. I was sweating.

We headed up north to Vang Vieng, a legendary place amongst backpackers due to the tubing. I think to use the world legendary is a bit too much. It was too commmercial for us, lots of young english toffs, lots and lots and lots! We cant stand the little gits, they shame the UK. We had booked via the net some accommodation, when we got there they were double booked but they had arranged for us to stay somewhere else that night, so all was ok. Every place here had re-runs of friends on...it had been transformed into a place just for tourists. That night we had a black out....from 5pm until 10am. No Fan, and had to use candles....its fair to say we didnt lay to close to each other that night...way to hot. Tubing was our activity the next day...we queued up in line with the toffs and recieved our tube..a short tuk tuk drive and we were on the river floating down. Its rainy season in laos now so the river was flying. All the way along were make shift bars, cheap beer and rope swings. We stopped at one for a couple, a turn on the rope swing each and we were happy to set sail back down the river. It was a good laugh but didnt make a full day of it as we are laying off the beer, paiges visit took it out of us.

We headed further north to Luang Prabang. About a 7 hour bus ride. We again had booked somewhere to stay via the net, 1.75 each to stay...cheap cheap. Our 1st night there Amy ended up telling 2 girls off for being to loud..good on you Amy. They had some amazing markets near to where we were staying.....so many textiles, lao silk, crafts etc. The colours were crazy. We bought a few little things during our stay here...nothing too costly. Our 2nd day here we did some kayaking, a full day on the river with lunch, a superb luch I might say, with visit to a large waterfall. All for 12.50 each. The kayak involved tackling some rapids...with me in the back and amy in the front we worked well, and navigated ourselves through the treturous water. Our guides had with them a dry bag...come lunch time at the waterfall they produced a slap up luch for us all. Grilled fish wrapped in banana leaf, veg, rice, noodle etc. Every other tour just had fried rice in a box...we had plates. Ha.

The next day we left Luang Prabang to head south back to the Capital, Vientiane. Turned out to be the journey from hell. The laos people do not understand time and distance...no lie! They are useless at estimations. This journey was supposed to take 8 hours...it took flippin 12. That night we had planned to keep on travelling further south via a over night sleeper bus to Pakse. We arrived so late that we spent another night in Vientiane. The next night, at 8pm we got on our sleeper bus, it was so funny. Got some good pics of me and Amy sharing a cramp double bed. It was a 10 hour journey.. i think we slept about 3 hours. Our salvation for long journeys is my iPod. Our last day in Bangkok we got lots of movies and Heroes Season 1 put on it. Along with an adapter we now can share it...great stuff (thanks for the gift mum & dad).

When we arrived in Pakse (12th) we got on another bus to head down to Si Phon Don, the four thousand islands. This is where the Mekong river breaks up. This is an amazing place..soooooo quite. Our 1st day we stayed on the island of Done Khong. For a country that is moped crazy we only saw about 8..thats how quite it was. Yesterday we took a long boat, (40 000 kip each) south to Don Det, where we are now. We have had a big problem over the last 2 days, until now. We had no money!!! And there are no ATM or banks? Luckily our guest house arranged transport to take you back to the main land to a National Bank. I have just come from there.

On this Island you only have electricity from 6pm - 10pm. It is very very very hot..Easily 35+ . There is as much of a breeze as a trump. Yesterday we hired some 1950's bikes and explored the island..mine was rouge (bright red) with a basket which i used, Amy had a black one, I would have taken that one, but it had a little flower on the front...hmmmm. We cycled about 4km to a huge waterfall, well we decided that they were rapids, it was like something out of the movie the River Wild.

Today was quite an experience. Due to the expense of getting to main land, 80 000 kip per person, we decided I should go. The Bank either did travellers cheques (dont have any) or cash advance. As I set sail on a Long boat 8am i realised I didnt have my passport on me,...proper panicked all the way as all we had left was 28 000 kip (1.50). When i got on the mainland I had to take a moped for a 5km drive to the next village with a women, due to the bumps I ended up being to close for comfort, i.e groin to bottom. After some blatent lying to the Bank about where my passport was I managed to get by with my Drivers licence. So we are now $150 better off, we can now eat and use the internet.

Laos has been great..a little more expensive than we would have prefered, mainly due to travelling. The next blog will be done by Amy...it will have something to do with Cambodia. No doubt it wont be as interesting as this one. I have had her on my shoulder throughout writing this blog acting as a spell check. So if anything is wrong its her fault!!

Only 12 days till nick and lucy arrive. We are looking forward to that.

Love to all. Ta

Andy & 'spell check' Amy.