Ok, so we are now again not up to date with our blogs, it all went wrong again. We have now finished Laos and are in Vietnam, but we need to catch up so, we continue...
Monday we moved hostels to one with wifi so we could call home and be in contact. We took it in turns to go places, Tom to get us a room, me to stock up on fluids and re hydration salts. We spent the whole day in bed, and then the whole night.
Tuesday we planned to go tubing. We were feeling better, just needed food and energy. We ventured out at lunchtime to get some food. We ate Western food in the aussie bar, burger and chip and bangers, mash and gravy. It didnt go down well and sat in our bellies. We went back to bed. Tonight we stayed up late to call home, as we were waiting, we noticed some bugs, then more, then a few more. they were bed bugs, everywhere. YUK! After our calls home i ventured out to find the owner to change our rooms, luckily there was a cat who had taken a liking to the light showing under our door and so he was making a noise which the owner came to see to. We asked and he moved us. Everything itched, all in the mind but yuk yuk.
Wednesday we moved rooms completely. Hopefully the end to our bed bug fiasco. We had seen that James and Sophie had arrive in Vang Vien so we went to meet them at their hotel. After breakfast we stripped to swimmies, vests and waterproof bags, rented our tubes (inner tyres of big wheels) and hoped on the back of a tuk tuk to take us to the starting point. When we arrived it was wicked. The place was crazy, loads of bars on the waters edge, people jumping off platforms, swinging off huge swings, loads of drunkan fun. So sickness forgotten, we got on it! We donned bandannas,drank buckets, danced and watched. You could people watch for ages. After a few we thought we should probably use our tubes so we hoped into them and didnt get far, just across the river to the next bar where we shared another bucket and then jumped back on the tube dodging the falling swinging people and down the river. It was brilliant, just watching the world go by while lounging on giant rubber tubes. We stopped at the Mud Bar a little further down. I had it in my head to get all muddied up. In the rainy season the whole place is muddy, however in the dry season, now, it was dry other than the mud pit which was part filled with water and a few tadpoles. We jumped in anyway and Sophie and I covered ourselves in thick mud. Then the four of us went for the slide. Mucky! We had disturbed the peace for Long enough so we got back in the tubes and off further down river. The river is deep and calm in places, other places it gets fast and is shallow and rocky. At one point Tom fell out of his tube and dropped it, it got caught in the quick bit and i was being dragged along to try to catch it. We both ended up with bruises and grazes but it was fun. Our only other stop was for a beer to drink while mooching down the river, perfect. We only made it half the way, we ran out of time as you have to have your tube back for 6pm. We tiptoed out of the river singing 'i would walk 500 miles' in a tipsy staggering way and caught a tuk tuk back to town. We didnt have enough money between us so negotiated to pay what we had. It meant that i sat on the edge, Tom hung off the back with James and Sophie hanging onto his tube.We had so much fun,we decided to stay another day and do it all over again! But before tomorrow, was tonight. We all went for showers and then caught up for dinner. We met another couple that James and Sophie had met previously and so we all had dinner. After that we went to the bucket bar for, you guessed it, more buckets. When we got here, we saw Thais and Peter (the guys from the Chang Rai trek) dancing away on the dance floor. They were already a few buckets ahead of us so we got them in to catch up. We had a wild night, and every time our bucket was empty a full one was not far behind. The great thing with buckets is that you dont feel drunk, just very very happy and chatty, all that red bull! After too much, we all walked home grabbing munchies on the way. We arranged to 'knock' for James and Sophie in the morning and Tom piggy backed me home...to our bed bug pit. The new bedroom had them to. The owner was so miffed with the cleaners and he replaces our curtains, mattress and bedding. We slept, heavily.
Thursday we were hungover. We slowly walked to meet up and went for breaky which went down, slowly to. We didnt think we would manage much today but after arriving again at the starting point and having our first beer and subsequent mojito bucket, we were fit as fiddles again. While having our first beer we saw a guy take a nasty fall off the big swing. He had done a somersault perfectly and got a round of applause. He attempted a double but didnt make it the whole way and slammed on his back into the water. When he got out his back was red apart from 2 ribs that were already black and bruised. He was couching up blood and in loads of pain. He went by tuk tuk to the town and then to hospital which is 4 hours by road. Not something we thought we would risk and attempt. At bar 2 we bandanad up again and drew comedy moustacks on each other. James was Hitler, Sophies was Craaaig Daaavid and i had an El Pedro curly one. As Tom is pretty beardy at present, he had to had a Uni Brow which from a distance looked just like a uni brow Further down river we stopped at a bar with a huge slide which James fancied doing. As we had our beer as very very drunk kid arrived and asked us to hold his stuff (soaking wet cigarettes and money) while he did the slide, as he walked away, oblivious that his bum was hanging out, we wondered whether it was really a good idea. It as funny to watch though. We wanted to finish the river tonight, whatever it took. Last night we were told where we got out that there was another 3km and that it should take another 30 minutes so we went for it. 2 hours later we arrived, in the dark and with a late charge to the tubing place. It was worth it though, we had to paddle most of the way and we were all cold and tired when we arrived. Dinner was subdued, we were all sleepy and ordered comfort food. James and Sophies arrived and was eaten by the time Toms arrived and everyone was finished by the time mine arrived, and it was 10pm. This was our last night with the others so we said our see yas and headed home...to more bed bugs. Tom was still awake and saw them venture across his pillow and then more on my blanket, he woke me up this time we were too tired so made a bed in the bar downstairs and slept there.
Friday we caught yet another 7 hour bus back to Luang Prabang to carry on our journey to Northern Laos. Seems a silly route but Vang Vien had to be done, it is THE place to tube so no regrets. Long bumpy, windy journey again. Met a nice couple who live in Ho Chi Minh city and offered to show us some authentic Vietnamese restaurants when we get there which e shall do. We arrived in Luang Prabang at 5pm and checked into the guesthouse next to the minibus station as we were catching the morning mini bus to Nong Khiaw. We had a coffee in the bus station and a makeshift dinner.
Saturday we caught the early bus to Nong Khiaw. On the way we stopped for a wee break, not in a restaurant or toilet, but by a gap in the hedge. What made us laugh was one guy going to use it and collecting leaves on the way, dry ones though which im sure arent the most soothing! We arrived at lunch and trekked around for a cheap place to stay. The place we arrived in was amazing A river run through the middle and the town was surrounded by mountains. It was misty and everything you imagine Laos to be like. There was one place with internet only and limited signal. Real middle of nowhere stuff. We found a cheap room with a bed on the floor and bumped into the hippy couple from Borneo on the way. Once again, small world.After lunch we donned our walking boot and trekked out of town to the Pak Lot caves where the villagers hid during the Cold War. There were 3 caves and the middle one was scary! I hate caves, Tom loved it. We had a torch but it was pretty weak. We started down the cave which was tiny, less than a metre wide. At points when you turned around there was no light, it was pitch black. This was the bank cave, literally where all of the money was kept. We spent few hours walking about until the path ran out. In these parts of Laos and some others, you shouldnt go off paths as there are still a lot of UXO (Unexploded Ordinates (bombs)) from the Vietnam war. Its pretty sad. After our walk we went for dinner At the Indian (again) and then caught up with the couple from Borneo who we went back to their bungalow with for a brew and a couple of hours chatting on their balcony. We walked back along the bridge in the dark with the shining stars only, no street lights, just the moon here.
Sunday, we had a nightmare morning. We wanted to get a boat up the river to a little village which is known as the backpackers secret. We also needed to get to Sam Neau on the border to Vietnam tomorrow. We got a price for the bus ticket, it was all we had left, there was no ATM here, uh ohhh. We had heard that one hotel could give you cashback so we went there but their internet was too slow and so it didnt work. In the end we changed a 20 pound note that we had which is plenty here, phew. We had 10 minutes to cross the river again and get to the boat pier with our bags on and get the boat to the village. We made it, just. When we were on the boat we were crammed on the back with the bags and spent an hour being harassed by a woman to stay at her homestay an hour out of the village. We really wanted to but the hot trek with our bags was a no go. Backs were hurting. We arrived a the village and found a waterfront bungalow. Trekking around the village for brunch was funny, everything seemed shut. We found somewhere and a little girl greeted us to take our order, she was about 6 and was fascinated with my bracelets, even undoing the clasps and taking one off for herself, until her mum shouted. We walked about the village further and overheard a couple going crazy at a local about a trip that they had been on. It seemed they had been promised fishing and there was none. They were going crazy, you could hear them down the street, all of the locals and then the police came to see what the commotion was all about, not the place to be an arse. Today was a nice setting to do some reading and just being there. There was only electricity here between 6pm and 10pm and its from the generators. Beautiful place, need to stay longer, but we have Vietnam to get to!