Hi everyone, i think you all overdue for an update on our trip. We have been so busy just relaxing its been hard to sum up the energy to write this blog!!

You will gald to know we survived the 24hr bus trip from Hanoi, Vietnam to Vientane. We were extremely lucky to be honest. We decided to do the bus trip from hell as the money to fly was a bit too expensive but as the time got nearer to go, we were rapidly regretting the decision. We had heard stories of it taking between 33 and 40 hrs, that one person had been on a bus that was trying to smuggle tiger paws and the officials at the border were going to confiscate the bus leaving him stranded, of the buses being crammed with people etc. The aussie lads had also doen it the previous day and emaild to say fly, they wouldn't elaborate to say why. When we met up with them they said that they had had people sitting between thier knees for 24 hours and had their legs up on rice bags. They said that 2 english girls that were on their bus had to sit on rice bags for 24hrs with no a/c or fans!! It seemed pretty horrific.

Anyway we were picked up an hour late in a minivan that was to take us to the bus. There was no room for my backpack so they put it on the roof!! No one elses just mine, si started giggling because it is not the first time that my bag has been singled out! it wasn't even strapped down or anything, but you can't complain as they just laugh and carry on!! so anyway we got to the coach which we had been told we would spend 12 hrs on and then change to another bus at the border... nope that wasn't to be the case. As i got on i got told that we would change to another bus at 2am. So we sat down then realised the window was missing so moved again. We had paid extra for this bus so that we could have a/c all the way. We were crammed in like sardines and si had no leg room. So off we set...we had agreed before we left that we had to do anyhting we could to get us both through the trip, so started playing stupid games to try and pass the time.

About an hour and a half into the trip the bus stopped and we were told that we and another french couple had to change to another bus.... hmmm... what happened to 2am? so after much deliberation we changed buses....to one with no a/c just opened windows!! but we had the whole back of the bus to ourselves and were able to lie down and stretch out, even though the bus was absolutley filthy.

So the trip was pretty lenghy as you can imagine!! we stopped about 5.30am as the border doesn't open 7am. The border crossing was pretty eventful. We weren't really told what we had to do, a lady on the bus took our passports and then went and gave them into the vietnamese officials. We then followed other westerners, where you all wait until they hold up your passport then you have to go over and then give them a dollar to get it back. i thought i wasn't going to get mine as have long blonde hair on passport and the person standing infront of him had short brown hair and glasses! he looked at my passport then me a few times, so just handed him the dollar quick! so then we went out the other side and seen our bus going off without us, to say we panicked was a understatement, we went running down the hill after it to find it did eventually stop at the laos border crossing. we got through there fine as we had already got our visas in advance. again had to give a dollar each to get our passports back!

We eventually arrived in vientiane, Laos's capital at 3.30pm - so we had managed to make it in roughly 21 hours. We had decided to splash out abit and got a 11 pound room for the night... last of the big spenders! we were shattered and starving as all we'd eaten in the last 21 hours was a packet of pringles, a pastry, a few cola bottle sweets and pistachio nuts, so got showered and went and had a big feed. We booked our 4hour bus trip for the following day to Vang Vieng and were in bed for 7pm. We slept like the dead only waking at 7.30am the next morning because we had set the alarm.

Our bus for Vang Vieng was at 10am so we had tiem to get breakky and sort out the money situation. Laos only has one atm and thats in vientane, so we had to get it before we left, however it wouldnt except our card...we eventually sorted it out though, having to draw money on our cards through the exchange counter and paying a hefty commision.

So off we set for Vang Vieng...which is where we still are.... and wow what an amzing place. Laos is so chilled its unbelievable. You have to order your food before you are hungry as it takes so long, and the people are so friendly. Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world, during the vietnam was the us were told that laos was vietnam and they had to drop a certain quota of bombs a day so if they left ietnam without dropping them they would drop them in laos. Many of them did not detonate and therefore there are many areas you are not able to walk alone.

Vang Vieng is a must see for you all.... it is a small town with huge limestone moutains in the foreground...and so relaxed. You go into a bar or restaurant, take off your flip flops and climb onto these bamboo seating areas, which are actually beds with tons of pillows. You then lie back and order food and drink and watch episode after episode of freinds for as long as you want!! You can also wathc dvds or take your own and they will put it on for you!! heavenly!!

But the star attraction for Vang Vieng is tubing...... the best time in the world and the reason why we haven't even thought of moving on yet!! You get a tractor inner tube and then a tuk tuk takes you 3km up the river. YOu then get off and into the tube and float down the river, with the huge limestone mountains in the background. The river is lined with bars and you are not flaoting long before you hear someone shouting beer lao, lao and holding a bamboo stick out to you to pull you in. Once at the bar you get a beer and then use their swing to swing into the river and perfect your acrobat skills, with everyone cheering if you manage something new!! Once bored of that bar, its music and swing, you get back into your tube and flaot to the next bar.... and so on and so forth!!

We have met back up with the aussies here and also met with a big group of other lovely people..hello to you all if you read this... so we went tubing with them all yesterday. I have Si on film doing a number of acrobatic stunts and will try to upload the best one...his superman impression later.... Everyone was trying their best to get me to swing yesterday but after my stint at the bungy jump in thailand a few years ago i wasn;t having any of it....until at the end of the day in the last bar and a few beer laos and a few buckets later i finally agreed to do a tandem swing with Si.

I was going to do it with sarah, but eventually did it with si. We gave the camera to pete and sam to record the epic moment and everyone who was about to move on as it was getting dark all stayed to cheer me on. To say i was panicking was an understatement. Anyway i did it but couldn't hold on and fell really early... when i came up everyone was cheering so decided to go up again with si... I really shouldn't have bothered... i fell earlier this time and landed hard winding myself, si came up for air and tried to talk to me but i couldn't breathe so he had to resue me..bless. Unfortunately pete and sam also captured it on film, it is quite hilarious and should be on you tube or someting so will upload that too!!

Needless to say i am in agony to day, and aching all over. There are loads of caves in the limestone caves around, si went on an epic journey with the group to one the other day and had a fab day. Sam and i went in search of a cave one day on a moto when the others went tubing, but we ended up with a flat tyre and had to push the bike 1.5km, then hitched a ride with a tractor taxi. Not before the tractor making all the occupants in it at the time getting out to let us in, we felt awful. Then everyone tried to help get the bike on, including a local lady in her bra!! see the photos when i get round to uploading them!! we then got dropped off in a village were someone fixed the puncture but was surrounded by beautiful lao kids wanting theri photo taken...so i obliged, sam got in them too!!

We are throughly enjoying it here, but the good times are going to have to coem to an end as doyle is leaving tomorrow back to bangkok, and sam and pete are leaving on the 8th so we are gutted as our little group will be no more!! so tonight is going to a big one being doyles last night. Today we are all aching fro mtubing yesterday so are taking it easy and going to a resort with a pool for the day, apparently it is right at the mouth of a lagoonand a cave aswell so looking forward to it.

keep the messages and emails coming they are greatly appreicated. Really missing you all and thanks emma for letting me know about lizzy and tracey, congraulations to them both xxxxx

love shell and simon xxxxxx