Get up and Craig is packing. Takes awhile to disassemble the 2 well crafted crossbows. We trim the arrows in the hope they will get through customs. I say my farewells, groggy headed from the bowling the night before. I will miss Craig's company as the last few months have been a good adventure but it is time for a new one. I grab some lunch at the Aussie bar and head to the embassy. The gate is locked and the miserable man behind the desk is no help what s...

Craig has surprised me with a crossbow making course. We get ready for our activity, our guide picking us up at 11am. We drive to a villiage just outside of town and wander to a small house with a family and a garden full of chickens. Our host Keshon Lee is an 85 year old master crossbow maker. He is from the Hmong tribe and the skill he has will be lost once he is gone. His family have no requirement to learn the ancient craft. Our guide is from the Khmu tri...

Still catching up on sleep, we get up and go hire mopeds. The bikes proving better than the owners wife's laundry skills. Currently hand washing the mess she has made. We go looking for a temple on a hill. Eventually finding Vatpa That Khong up a winding forested hill. It is currently closed but with 2 large drums on balconies at each site, it would have been a site to see them calling for prayers. We had heard about a swimming pool open to the public and dec...

Get up at 5am and wander along to see the monks. Craig didn't sleep too well after ropey uncooked slop last night but we pass the tour groups and go into town. We find a spot further along and see the monks in their hundreds receive rice from locals. The irritating part are the Korean tourists who like the Japanese are obsessive with photographs. Their selfie sticks are long enough to see the monks pupils dilate. 2 other monks standing with the locals are int...

Get up early and grab the hostel breakfast of scrambled egg and toast. Get to know the hostel manager David. An Irish lad who has been working there awhile but is a good font of knowledge.We head into town, a 10 minute walk elongated in the heat and find a laundry lady. We look at other hostels a little closer but weighing up what we have got its just as easy to stay at Khammney. We hire mopeds and start exploring, the idea of mountain bikes a mirage in the h...