Last Days in Laos Viva Vang Vieng Day 21 to 25 An early departure from Luang Prabang and unfortunately we didn't see the monks receiving their sticky rice from the townspeople. This is how they get their food but they can only eat up to the hour of 12 midday. The bus journey to Vang Vieng was an adventure in 2 ways. 1) bumpiest road yet 2) winding steep roads up over the mountains. If there had been snow it may have felt like a Sound of Music moment. However...

Days 17 to 21 New Years Day we were booked on a tour to learn about sticky rice at The Living Land, working farm. When we arrived and we were all given a traditional bamboo hat to wear and I thought oh no this is going to be a really awful tacky experience. How wrong I was. It was really interesting and fascinating to see how sticky rice is made and see all the man made tools for the entire process. If there is ever a Y2K then I want to be in Laos they can prett...

Day 14 - 17 Leaving Chiang Mai we stopped on route at a natural hot springs where people were boiling their own eggs (yes didn't smell great) and Chiang Rai to see the White Temple. This was not really like any other temple (featuring Star Wars and Spider-Man) so it was a bit Disneyland. However the detail was impressive. It was a bit of a joke that the toilet was the 'gold temple'. Immigration was a bit of an experience and I was glad that our guide was with u...