Even the capital of Laos is small and simple! It seems that no building is taller than 4 stories, and even those are few and far between. There wasn't much to do, but we ate a delicious vietnamese soup in a local resturant for lunch, and walked down to the Mekong River where we gobbled down greasy fried noodles whilst listening to the loud, beating drums of a nearby dance performance, and watched people pop balloons in what looked like a small, random streetside ...

After crossing the "Friendship Bridge" from Laos into Thailand we hopped aboard our overnight train to Bangkok. I don't think Laos even has a railway line - they only had the one "main" road, which passed bumpily through all the towns and the few Lao cities. All the tiome we were travelling,Johnny and I never realised we were on THE major road - as we jolted along the dirt, which fell away into muddy crevices at points, twisting our way throug...

So we finally made it! Our three weeks in the United States have ended. They went so quickly, yet we stuffed so much into them it feels like we must have been there for months! I was so surprised by Am,erica, so many beautiful areas like Zion and Monument Valley! That being said, they have managed to pollute everywhere just outside each national park and treasured beauty with motels, motorways and mcdonalds! I guess you can't have everything, and I feel sooo luck...

Vang Vieng is the Lao version of Ibitha. There are still small children washing their bodies in the river, and bent over women crrying loads on theirt tired backs, but there is also a street of souvenirs, and sunburnt early-twenties jumping off bars into the river. After a few hours drive in the morning, we spent johnny's NINETEENTH birthday chilling by the river banks, watching the sunset behind the mountains with Bob Marley and some Beer Laos. Beer Laos is, bt...

We decided to explore the "city" today. After a "sleep-in" (till 9 o'clock!!! woweee) we walked back to the night market area, which was all packed away, revealing the steep stone step[s up to Mount Phousi (and yes, it is pronounced the way you think it might be). Initially the steps were congested with children selling bracelets and old women selling ornage flowers, incense, and little wooden cages with twitering birds inside. Although it did...