Just arrived in Hanoi...

We left Luang Prabang on Friday, catching the "VIP" bus to Vang Vien.

What we thought would be a 5 hour trip in air conditioned comfort complete with toilet turned out to be a 7 hour trip in air conditioned discomfort being subjected to Chinese films and Laos hip hop music! With the toilet being avoided at all costs by myself!

We arrived in Vang Vien finally, found a guesthouse and wandered around settliing down in a bar for abit with a beer lao to watch old friends episodes. Vang Vien is well known for playing episodes of Friends over and over in bars and restaurants - some places even advertise outside "No Friends!" ha ha.

Vang Vien is really geared up for the backpacker and many bars offer, as well as buckets, "happy" shakes, bags of weed as well as opium! Over dinner 2 sets of people came into the restaurant we were in to buy it. It's almost like its illegal to smoke it but legal to have it on you and even sell it. Go figure!

Saturday morning, Me , Camille and Tracy went tubing down the Nam Song River after breakfast which was great fun, we even heard gibbons up in the hills as we floated past. There area a number of makeshift bars set up down the river which you can stop at (they pull you in with a ring or a stick) for a drink, food or even to swing and flying fox into the river.

We made it back to town in time for a quick shower before catching a tourist bus to Vientiane the capital of Laos. This trip was shorter thank god because the air con hardly worked and the seats weren't made for farang bums ha ha

The guesthouse we planned to stay at in Vientiane was full so we were taken to a guesthouse nearby that was in the lonely planet may but no write up (we should have known to stay clear!) . It came complete with a rather unusual man who, either didn't speak english at all or was a couple of bricks short of a wall. The rooms were far from clean, the lights went on and off randomly when you plugged something in and the sheets looked like they hadn't been washed for some time SO... we slept on top of the bed with sarongs over the pillows. Chair against the door to keep the boogie man out and spray can next to the bed for self defence, after Camille told us all about Hostel and Fox River it was all just a little spooky but we survived.

This morning we went to see Pha That Luang which is the most important landmark in Laos and appears on the national seal. We found breakfast before heading out to the airport to catch our flight up to Hanoi.

Things I have read about Laos Airlines were not great, not least the fact they have no aviation certificate, but I think it was one of the best flights I've had. New plane, 15 minutes shorter at only 1 hour 5 and we even got food and drinks. what more can you ask for.

So here I am in Hanoi in our hotel room which conveniently as computer and internet connection having a coffee. Camille has just arrived from next door so I will be off and update you all shortly