Hello All!

Am now in Vang Vieng and what a very cool place it is!

A lot cheaper to stay here and Brendan and I are paying $5 each for a room - no tv, a/c or fridge but we can live without those as it's fairly cool and still keeps bloody raining!!!

So Vang Vieng is about 4 hours north of Vientiane and in amongst some mountains with a river running through - only a small place thats popular with backpackers. The place we're staying has a bar / restaurant down stairs where everyone has little booths that all face 2 tvs at the end of the area - its an elevated cane platform with a cofee table and a cushioned matt and pilllows to lie back against. They have Friends playing 24/7 so Kate I think this would be your dream place!

We went there for dinner last nite and after a copule of Lao lemon surprises (the local whisky $2 AUD a pop) I could have fallen asleep there! I've been hanging for a place like this as the Intrepid trip was all go go go!

Anyway I managed to pick myself up of the pillows and we went for a walk around town to check it out - all of 2 streets we thought but found another lot of bars down near the river that were a lot more upbeat. We avoided the busy one and headed to one next door that had huts like the pics above but without thatched walls and they had grass matts, cushions and 2 hammocks in each.

We had the place all to ourself so grabbed a bucket (does anyone remember them from St Pauls Tavern days? well they're still very popular in asia! not sure how many nips but a very generous serve of whisky lao lao and 7up for 20,000 kip $4AUD).

The DJ started playing AC/DC - not sure if he knew we were Aussies but we were impressed and had a ball swinging away in our hammocks and singing along!

We're mixing a lot more with people now we're away from the Intrepid group so getting lots of great tips on where to go and stay, and meeting people from all over the globe :-) Heaps are doing long trips and all involve a trip through asia, then a couple of months in Oz and NZ. Also met some crazy expats living in Vientiane - got some advice from them on whats good bad / who to avoid and some funny stories. Brendan will talk to anyone - which can be good as meet some people that I wouldn't have gone near and had some great laughs.

Speaking of ones to avoid ... they warned us off chatting to the Africans but too late as I'd already met one and given him my msn address and he's trying to chat to me now!!! no interest on my part but laid it on saying come meethim at his guest house that nite, and that he thought we had a real connection blah blah blah - is asking me now if I'd thought about our discussion - time to block him!

We were supposed to go tubing today but feeling a bit run down so slept for a few hrs instead (of course it wouldn't be the whisky lao).

Tubing is what this place is famous for and involves renting a tractor tyre tube, getting a tuk tuk up river and spending the day floating down. Apparently every few metres there are bars you can visit - some you just swim up to and others you can go into caves and sit beside heaters and dry out. There's also supposed to be slides and ropes to swing off so a very fun day to be had :-) There is also something called the "Happy Menu" where you can get extra special items like mushroom shakes and opium teas ... We do see a few around town who we think have been on the happy menus :-D

Will defnitely try tubing tomorrow and take it easy tonight so will be up early and feeling better for it :-D

Anyways here are some pics of Vietnam - still more to come but internets not that cheap always and bloody slow!!!!

Saigon pics - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=68086&l=2104c&id=713296928