Got back to Luang Prabang and was able to Skype Air Canada and on the second attempt got a clear enough line to change my ticket. I am now scheduled to return on May 17. I had no trouble getting connections from Bangkok to Seoul Korea and Seoul to Vancouver, but couldn't get any space from Vancouver to Calgary. I have a pretty lousy return route - I think a long wait in Vancouver so I hope I can see Val and Lyle at least, and an overnighter in the airport ...

Nom Khiew - 8.5 hours north, by river, from Luang Prabang. I met Richard and Debbie, the California couple I met on the flight from Hanoi, on the riverbank at 8:30 am. We figured out how to buy our tickets for a skinny boat upstream and found a boat. It seems the boats go upstream when they have enough people and we were lucky to fill our boat pretty quickly. Pulling away from the shore we were eight. The three of us, two young German girls, two young Finns ...

Hey no worries. Laid back Laos is just what I needed after crazy busy Hanoi. I will be MIA for a few days because I am heading up the Mekong early tommorow morning in a small but very long skinny boat (think Banana Boat ride but not inflatible) I met a couple from California and we are going to head up about 8 or 9 hours on the boat upstream....I think we will rent it at the pier tomorrow.....wooden bench seats - two across fills the space.....not built for co...

sprained my ankle this afternoon. Not so happy - the pain is starting to subside - I bought a wrap and have it elevated. Trying to remember all the parts for RICE. Seems I haven't done it very well.  I rented a bike very early in the day in an attempt to mitigate the miles I was putting on searching for a Bank Machine that would accept the " Ïnterac" logo. Seems nearly everyone uses a Visa or MasterCard Debit system, not Cirrus and Interact. Remember t...

The trip to Halong Bay started very early as I got off the night train at 4:30, was dropped off at the travel agency at 5 am, was the only one there in the dark so I kicked the door so the guys who live in it would let me in as it was pouring rain and very very cold - ok, not Calgary cold, but damp, and I am oh so tired cold. I asked the guy if I could have a shower in his little bathroom in the travel agency and he told me it only had cold water so instead I c...