To get to Laos our bus journey was just ovr 26 hours, managed to go most of it without smelly BO man but because there were too many people in the bus and people were sitting in the aisle and sleeping in the aisle i got stuck with him for a bit, he smelled disgusting. Yes, that's disgusting, and yes he thought it was ok to lean on me. I was repulsed to say the least. I also had some old woman resting her foot on my arm rest, she was not clean. so 26 hours in a hot crammed bus, couldn't recline the seats coz they'd loaded whatever they were smuggling in behind us. good stuff. on the plus side i forgot to put my knife in my case when we were crossing the border but they opted not to scan our bags on this one so it stayed safe (I was going to pay the bribe, i'm just pleased it didn't come to that). the plus side of the bus journey is that we befriended 2 great girls, Kat we left in Vientiane (first stop in Laos) as she was staying there and we wanted to move on up, and Sarah (a welshie) is still with us in Viang Vieng and coming along t Luang Prabang which is where we're headed tonight hopefully.

After another 3 hr bus Journey yesterday we got to Vang Vieng, having not really eaten for 2 days we got some lunch and did the tubing thing (you might be able to google it and find something), but as it was late we just walked around the bars rather than tube it. we rocked up to a load of people paryting, it was good times! we thought we'd have a go on the zip swing after a while, turns out i was too rubbibsh to hold on (totally blaming suncream hands! haha!) and fell off, today i am sore bruised to guggery to say the least!. after that we went to the next couule of bars, one of which was a mud bar - i had a white tshirt and white bikini, needless to say neither stayed white - think i've managed to clean the bikini this morning, the tshirt is a lost cause. the mud fights were hilarious though :) :)

the next bar we went to was a little walk away, we met some cows but they didn't like us, we rocked up to a Laos bar, it was their new year's eve, they were getting us merry, and telling me they like 'white girl's fat', don't think they realised that cut deep! haha! after a while with them we went to the bar in town (right nea our hotel - werinsed off a bit first!), for some more partying and got in thespirit with the marker pens - i've got malteser written on my arms and legs and for all the scrubbing in the world this morning it's not coming off!

it's good and hot here and due to get hotter, it's the start of the water fight today which is a biggun and lasts 3 days (religious festival) so that should help. hope you're all well and as always missing me more than you cn handle :p

lots of love

xxx