Managed to meet up with Tim in Vientiane, Laos last weekend. Good to meet up with a friendly face especially as he cheered me up immediately by confessing to successfully bartering an increase in cost with the tuk-tuk driver to collect me from the airport. Needless to say we've had a few AST style lessons. Differentiation very important.....

Since then we've sampled many of the delights of my favorite country in the world. Beerlaos heading the list... This has already lead to an unpleasant journey on a public bus after spending the whole previous day watching the dragon boat racing on the Mekong (Festival of Bun Nam) and sampling the local food and beverages! At least the national drink isn't calvados I suppose! Oh well - good start! Since then I've calmed down and have even manged to fit in some slightly active adventures: kayaking for a day on the Nam Song river near Vang Vieng; and mountain biking to a waterfall outside of Luang prabang. Both of which have obviously included hillarious additional activities - my personal favorite being the "floating through a cave system on an inner tube with a headtorch made in 1823 attached to a car battery hung aroung my neck - bare wires exposed and floating in water - hmmm!", followed closely by Tim's need to do boy-things so why enter a swiiming pool in a conventional way when a handstand into the shallow end is much more dangerous?! Yes he did injure himself. Yes I did refrain from laughing and saying I told you so...

Spent the last 2 days on a boat up the Mekong - highly sensible to fight the current on a small floating plank? First boat broke down after about 10 minutes of hair-drier style motor action. Luckily this was replaced with the luxury version with reclining padded seats. All we had to do was jump through the window from one boat to the other. Nice. Arrival at halfway point of Pak Beng in the dark was "interesting" and the associated snail style crawling through 4 boats with large rucsac on back was only topped by the balancing down a flimsy piece of wood into knee high water, foot swallowing mud and spiky weeds. Smile like you mean it indeed...

Managed to make it through the following day on deck and arrived in Huay Xai without too much more comedy. Off on another random public bus tomorrow. Can guarantee a story or two I'm sure!

Hope you're all well, the teachers amongst you are looking forward to a restful half term and the rest of you are only mildly jealous! S x