Vern: When Samly's 'local taxi' (a truck loaded with a dozen villagers and us) pulled in to Pakse bus station we were relieved that the rough part of the journey was over. Or so we thought. A large 'sawngathew' headed where we were was rearing to go and we were ushered on. Our chosen method of transport was a bright blue truck with three wooden benches in the back, perpendicular to the cab. The two on the sides had backrests (luckily we both got a spot on these)...

Vern: With a little help from a cup of coffee, we were up early again and zipping toward the bus station in a moto-taxi: a small chariot bolted to the side of a motorbike. It's a better ride than in the back of a tuk-tuk because you're up front with all the action, but I imagine that one wouldn't fare as well in an accident. The bus station was uneven, unpaved and full of litter. As so often happens, we got there and a three-quarter full bus was idling and ready ...

Vern: Vientiane, capital city of Lao PDR, is a ridiculously small capital: We didn't come across a full-size grocery store, I recall only two sets of traffic lights, zero cross-walks, and the Presidential Palace was boarded up. Green sheets of plastic were patched across the front gate, between the national flag and the communist flag (yellow sickle on red). These flags were paired together throughout the city and throughout the whole country. Despite the nation ...

Vern: Six hours in a cramped minibus isn't fun. Even less so when the driver stops whenever he wants and fills any remaining spaces with locals who take up just as much space but pay a fraction of what the 'falangs' pay. Luckily, however, the views through the bus windows were splendid! The foreground was green and rambling and the background: an artwork of random peaks and troughs in three lightenning shades of blue. One day, a large sun-deck will be constructed...

Vern: At 5:30am a tuk-tuk, dropped us off in the centre of Luang Prabang, but we could really have been anywhere. It was dark, there were few street signs and real life never looks like the map. A Kiwi couple suggested a cheap place to stay, and a helpful local (who wanted nothing from us, only to help two strangers in the dark - most unusual in Asia) set us off in the right direction. We found the place and collapsed onto another firm mattress just as the sun wa...