Vang Vieng - Luang Prabang Day 5

Today was another moving day.We had shopped around after learning that we had paid more for the trip to Vang Vieng and got our hotel to match a town price for a minivan to Luang Prabang today, so we were picked up and taken to it at 8am.The van was to take 5 hours and we'd seen plenty of Toyota Hiace's around so assumed that's what it would be.Nope.We got a bus - granted, a smaller one but still a bus.The Laos way…..

Anyway, the bus took us there in around 6 hours, through the continual winding roads, up the mountain, down the mountain and over all the bumps but we got there - well, nearly there.We got about 2km's outside and then we were told that he couldn't go into town with the bus, so we had to pay for a tuk tuk (nope he they wouldn't pay).No point bringing any Western rules here, just laugh and move on.We'd looked around and found guesthouses to be pretty expensive but booked one up for $30 a night.We haggled a bit but she only threw in breakfast for free (instead of being $35) so we decided to pay for only one night and have a look round.So we headed out, took in some of the town, got our bearings, looked at tours and started to ask other guesthouses, all of which seemed to cost more!!Then we got chatting to a guy in a tour shop and happened to ask if he knew anywhere, which he did (he had lived there for 6 months!!) and there was a good bar next door called Utopia, so we headed over to the other side of town where it was.We spoke to the owner and he had a room, which we looked at and he quoted 100,000 kip per night ($12).Absolute find.So we headed into Utopia, happy to know that we had a different place to stay tomorrow night and enjoyed relaxing on their bed type things overlooking the river (it was dark though!) and some good food and then taking a brief look at the night market on the way home.

Laung Prabang Day 6

We got up, had our free breakfast and checked out before heading over to our new guesthouse, where we booked up for 3 nights.We decided today was the day to see Luang Prabang and get some tours booked for the next couple of days.We did a circuit of the town, which had a European feel at times to it, with some wine bars, patisseries etcand then went to see the Royal Palace, which was really nice to see.

Most of the tours in Luang Prabang are Elephant related but since we were doing that in Chiang Mai we decided not to and we found a place in the end that would do the 2 tours that we wanted to do and the bus journey to Huay Xai for a good price, so we booked up.

Luang Prabang Day 7

Our first real trekking, so out came the boots and off we went to trek for 3 hours in the morning through some villages and end up at the Tae Sae waterfalls.It was hard work at times, the weather was about 28C (though the guide was in jeans and a jumper!) and there was some real climbing to be done.Some of the views were amazing and the villages were good - you were the only non-local but then you felt comfortable and not intrusive.Having bought a can of sprite and giving half away to the kids, along with the empty water bottles that they apparently love to play with we moved on and ended up at the waterfall, where it was time to cool off.The water was freezing but so good.

After lunch and a quick look at some elephants (for tourists), we went over to the river where we were going to Kayak for around 2 hours to another point and hopefully see some good things along the way.It was good fun, the river didn't run that fast but then there were more rapid parts which got things going and we were lucky enough to see a massive (wild we were told) elephant bashing his way through the woods.Loads of people on the river banks doing normal life things, like fishing, getting river weed (a local speciality) and plenty of water buffalo.Got to the end without either of us having any back issues (last one in Ha Long Bay wasn't Martin's favourite time!) and well pleased that we had done it.

In the evening we headed out for dinner along the Mekong river bank and then took another more serious look round the night market and earmarked a few bits to buy on the last night, depending on how much money we had available.We then took in a film at the local film festival that they had on.It was in the main square and there was a giant screen and loads of chairs, so we sat and watched that classic Lao film "only love".It was actually alright and quite amusing but very Asian in its meanings.

Luang Prabang Day 8

Today was more of a classic tour.In the morning we headed up to the Pac Ou cave, which is some 25kms up the Mekong River on a very thing boat.It has an important status in the Lao people's history and there are two parts to it, the lower and upper.The lower is absolutely full of small Buddha's and the upper has one huge Buddha and many smaller ones.To be honest, it wasn't worth the hour plus to get here!We were dropped off on the way back at a local village where they made the Lao Lao (Whiskey) before heading back.

Then in the afternoon we were taken to the Kouang Si waterfalls.The bus was pretty late and we didn't end up getting there till 3pm.There is one main (huge) waterfall which feeds a pool, which then had another waterfall at the end going into another pool etc, so there are places where you can get in and have a swim.The weather today wasn't great, it was still about 24C at midday but very overcast, so neither of us fancied a swim, knowing how cold it had been at the other waterfall the day before, so we just chilled out.

In the evening we headed to the market after dinner and bought a couple of bits at the market for Siri and then headed off to a local wine bar to treat ourselves to a bottle.We were going to have a nice evening together but ended up having a nice evening with others.First this German man who'd been on the trip the previous day came along and stopped to have a chat, which was really nice and then we happened to spot Alex and Africa who'd we become friends with on the trip to Sapa wandering along the road, so they stopped to have a glass of wine with us.It was such a random night but really good to see them as we didn't think our paths would cross after we left them in Hanoi.We also ate some peanuts….

Luang Prabang Day 9

Today was going to be a relaxing day before heading off to the Huay Xai on the overnight bus late that afternoon.However, not going into too much detail, Marie woke to find herself very ill and something that she had eaten was not agreeing with her at all and so it was coming back up.This continued for the entire day and when you thought there could be no more, a bit more came (nice!).Martin didn't feel the best (we had eaten so similar so actually thought we should both be ill) but by 2pm had decided that there was no way that they could travel that night, so the owner of the guesthouse helped to change the bus booking till the next night before heading out to look for a Pharmacy where he was sold travel sickness tablets!!Also enquired about flights direct to Bangkok and decided that at $160 each, it was a hit that we'd have to take, so after a couple of times popping back and forth, booked these up, along with sorting it with the guesthouse owner that (thankfully) we could stay a couple of nights longer.At about 4pm, Martin joined Marie in something not agreeing and everything coming back up and we promptly slept !!!

Luang Prabang Day 10

Illness.Enough said but we did manage to eat a little in the evening.

The only thing we tried to do was deduce where we had got food poisoning from.We had a very similar dish at dinner, so it could have been that or the wine or the peanuts.We think it was the peanuts!