hey,

well we went kayaking and it was awful!! started off ok but loads of little rapids bits in the Nam Ou and we ended up capsizing which wasnt too bad as was shallow so could stand up to get back in and managed to save my flipflops this time but after that i was really scared of capsizing again! and then just before the caves the two rivers merged, the mekong and the Nam Ou was so scary as currents really strong and loads of different currents and i was crap i couldnt do it at all just made it worse so i ended up just holding on while ian paddled cos that was easier for him than when i tried to help!! stopped at the caves which were nice and had lunch! scenery was really pretty going down and saw some amazing different coloured cliffs before reached caves that wouldnt have seen otherwise but was so scary! i didnt want to get back in kayak to carry on down the mekong as such a massive river was so scared of falling out and not being able to get back in again! anyway i ended up just holding on again as no way i could have done it and i just made it worse as completely panicing too! so ian paddled us down - he did really well though as really strong currents and little whirlpool bits and we didnt capsize once but i was very glad to be back on dry land and wont be doing kayaking again!!! i was just holding opn shaking as so scared and ian scared too! then stopped at a whisky making village which was nice also loads of little shops where the women were weaving scarfs so bought a couple as so pretty! ian bout some whisky too although only quite weak stuff as he didnt like the lao lao which was really strong and rather like paintstripper! i also saw the most shocking thing there that i have seen in south east asia so far!! there was a little boy maybe 5 maybe bit older and he was playing with a hypodermic needle injecting the plants with air etc! knows where he got it!! then drove back to town rest of the way as apparently too dangerous to kayak any further! thank god! just cant believe what we did was supposed to be beginners level!

Then next day we went to the kuang si waterfall, just for the afternoon and posted stuff and went on internet and got bus tickets etc in the morning!! waterfall was gorgeous though had loads of little drops and then as you walk further up there is a big one!! so pretty and could swim in some of the pools, i had a swim but ian didnt!! was so cold though but beautiful!! there was also a bear rescue centre at the bottom so saw them too!

Then next day got bus back to vientiene was a long journey and really windy roads but luckily driver wasnt too crazy soo not too bad!! but people in front of us were a nightmare!! think they were dutch! first the woman out seat back so far back that ian couldnt move his legs at all then bloke started to do the same and i didnt want to not be able to move so said ouch and he said oh just a little bit but there was hardly any space anyway!! then they got off at the first toilet stop and then got back on and moved it back further and i complained and they just said well hes taller than you!! how rude!! in the end i got them to move her seat forward a little bit so ian could move his legs a bit!! and they kept kissing each other and each others necks etc!! was crazy and that is so unacceptable here they dont even approve of holding hands!! they were just so inconsiderate and rude!!

Anyway today noticed the buckle on my strap on my bag had broke and ian bought a new little backpack yesterday so cut the one off his old backpack and sewed it on to mine so that took a while! just hope it holds!! other than that just chilling really as getting bus to hanoi at 5pm which is going to be a 24hr bus so not looking forward to that!! hopefully we wont have people trying to squash our legs this time!!

Take care everyone! keep in touch!

Bye xxx