Blog 30 Oh my word what a relief to be out of Pakse and finally at the 4000 islands (Si Pan Don). So we arrived on the habour at 16.00, just a 10 minute long tail boat ride across the Mekong to the island of Don Det. On reaching the island we went bungalow hunting, well actually that should be Bryn went bungalow hunting while I got a coke and stood guard of the bags at the local cafe. Bryn came back looking like he'd just jumped in the river... Major cloud bu...

Blog 29 7 hour journey to the village seems like nothing really! All on a local songtau so not the most comfortable of rides but can't complain when you're paying less than £7. When we arrived we had planned on staying in a home stay somewhere but the eco lodge which was just where the bus stopped which was only £3 a night for a private room beckoned us in. That afternoon we explored the little village which was gorgeously friendly and small, saw a kid rathe...

Blog 28 Meh...nowt special! We spent a couple of my nights in Laos's capital. Not loads to see or do so we spent one of the days swimming and cooling down at the local alfresco swimming pool and practising our dives. By now we're down to a group of 3, with just the Mancunian lad, Kieran with us now. Watching the sun set over the Mekong river, with a bottle of good Beer Laos in hand was a pretty special memory. I've grown to realise that I'm slightly obsessed...

Blog 27 The one with the tubes... Vang Vieng is a boiling pot of friends re-runs and tuna sandwiches, and never has an Asia town accommodated the traveller like this one. Bar after bar after guesthouse after bar... All advertising tubing on the Vang Vieng!!! Has Vang vieng lost its soul? Yes. But it's still so much fun (we stayed 5 nights), and the locals are cashing in big time. In brief: a day at the blue lagoon swimming, jumping off trees ( Jo jumped off a...

Blog 26 First off.... The exciting Skype date from home happened on the second night when I called Tim and Nikki at midnight! The great news is THEY ARE ENGAGED!!! We had been waiting for this exciting news for the past week, knowing that they had just come down to Clanaborough, our beautiful family cottage in Devon! Many excited and happy tears followed this lovely news! And even more after Nikki asked me to be her bridesmaid! Congratulations from us both aga...