After having a much needed shower and catching up on our sleep we set out for some food and a wonder around the town. We thought we loved Chiang Mai but we REALLY love LPB. it has such a lovely chilled out atmosphere and the location is beautiful. And to top it off the two local specialities are coffee and baguettes!! there are bakeries everywhere, amazing. The huge baguettes and heat took its toll so we headed back to our guest house. Our room is like a cabin in a pirate ship, the floor, walls and ceiling are solid dark wood and the window looks out in to an alley way. it's weird to wake up and have no idea what time of day it is or what the weather is doing.

We arranged to meet the boys from the bus (mark Canada poo pants, james the gay and Rory the southafrican) later that evening at Lao Lao garden after sampling the night market and a bargain buffet tea. the restaurant was lovely, outside under lots of trees, lanterns and candles. we also had some Dutch and Finish girls join us. Everyone was having a great time and the beer was flowing until the waiter asked us to drink up and leave; in Laos it's government law that all bars and restaurants close at 11.30pm to allow drinkers and staff to be home by midnight so they're up in time to give alms to the monks! there is one exception however...THE BOWLING ALLEY!!! after a million of us piled into a Tuk Tuk we arrived at our destination. it was like being at a village hall with bunting, hospital lighting and some bowling lanes. hilarious!

The following day we went to Kuangsi waterfall, it was stunning. as we walked through the forest to the waterfall we came across a bear sanctuary. added bonus for the day! in hindsight though the bears were very dozey and probably doped up to their eyeballs!!! James had explored further up the river and found an enormous waterfall so we went up to look too. baring in mind that we had been 'swimming' (it was a tad to refreshing) as had all the other visitors we wondered up in our bikinis. james had failed to inform us that at our destination was actually coach loads of purple rinse having picnics, fully clothed. After many evil glares and plenty of muttering anyone would have thought we'd just stumbled out of strudland bay. very unamused!
There was also a market there (standard) but I was pleased to come across a coconut spoon and ladle similar to what we had used on our cookery day. I'll probably get them home and wonder why I bought them but for £1.60 it was worth the gamble! After our routine siesta we headed back to the bargain buffet, 80p, we piled our plates up high! there we met 3 Germans who had just arrived and were asking where the bars were. being the friendly people that we are we showed them the way only later to find out they were perhaps a tad dull. the Russian German tried to spice the evening up with shots of absinthe, bit early at 7pm. mine is probably still sat on the table. We managed to shake them off eventually with a prior engagement and headed up to the boys hostel. much better, although probably with the exception of the Yorkshire girl that pretty much hates everything possible. she hates posh, poor, welsh, farmers, the countryside ... the list goes on! it was safe to say grace didn't engage in great conversation with her! we had a few drinks with james and Rory and then they walked us back to our guest house- such gentleman! they were too scared to come inside in case they got caught, after all a sign in our boat house said 'you are not to bring any man or woman back that is not your wife or husband for love making!' comedy laos laws!
We are now on the bus heading to Vang Vieng. we've heard lots of mixed reviews and no-ones quite sure of the tubing situation. as long as the sun is shining we'll be happy.
Really wish we had another day in LPB, definitely recommend it.