Frances seems to think it amusing about me being intrigued abot the world of monks but i am and ill tell you why!!! Now these guys might seem all sweetness and light walking around in their orange robes, getting free rides in tuk-tuks and the odd dollar here and there but these old boys don't fool me!!! For a start... on visiting their monastery's its clear that they have other agenda's apart from praying to Buddha!!! ESPN - Sports channel seems to be their favourite and they rave to me about their days watching English football!! Most of them can name [View Full Entry]

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Finally it was time to leave China. With almost four week it has been the longest visit to one county so far. My Laos visa was ready and my Chinese visa was due to expire. On the sleeper bus to the border I got some new company, two girls, from the US and Australia and a guy from Sri Lanka. The two girls are living in Kunming and teaching English language. Traveling to Laos is a possibility to renew the Chinee visa. Already during the bus journey toward the border I was looking forward to come to Laos. I had been [View Full Entry]

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In the morning we headed out to the local bus station (which was just a spot on the road) and there were a few nice buses ready to go. But of course, our bus had not arrived yet. Just 15 minutes later, a scary looking bus comes up the road and, you got it, it was our local bus to Phonsovan. Without hesitation, we got on board and perpared ouselves for the eight hour ride through the mountains. The views were again spectacular as were the small villages we drove through. When we rolled into Phonsovan, we immediately learned it was [View Full Entry]

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our bus left Pakse at 8.30pm, it was an enormous VIP coach with proper air con and reclining seats! we were slightly aprehensive before it arrives as you never know quite what you're gonna get when you're promised an air con coach, but this definately didnt disappoint!!! we settled into our seats ready for a good nights sleep....and we actually got it!!! we woke up at about 3am realising we had stopped at a check point and uniformed officers with big machine guns were searching in the luggage section. we were stopped for ages, dont know what they were looking [View Full Entry]

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Upon a visit to SE Asia one of the first things to hit you are that there are alot of 'massage' parlours. Places where things aint always what they seem!!! Ive been curiously tempted to go for a REAL massage on our travels but never gone for it before now. I got a tip off from an American girl that this massage place in Pakse was rather good at a cheap rate so we wandered down there!! It turned out that this place was somebody's shack of a home with a sauna based in what looked like a garden shed! Anyways... [View Full Entry]

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The 6 hour minivan ride from Luang Prabang provided outstanding scenery as we climbed and decended our way through the lucious green mountains of the region. We also passed through a bunch of small villages sporting bamboo houses and shacks. Along the way the people would return my waves with big smiles. Quick funny story...at one stop, Tamar went to the back of a restaurant to use their toilet and upon returning, she said something bit her. I look at her leg and it was a small scratch and asked her "what bit you as this does not look like a [View Full Entry]

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Wow what a place. High up in the mountains now in a small village dominated by a waterfall and long bridge that goes between the two sides. Met Deborah a nice American girl whos also heading our way, although we had to give up a potentially nice bungalow at a cool guesthouse for her as there was only one left!! (last time we try and be helpfull!!) As it happens it didnt really matter as we headed over the bridge to a place called Saise bungalows and got a nice little spot near the waterfall and away into the woods. Even [View Full Entry]

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Pakse is the kind of place a traveller can get bogged down in but we kinda like it. Its small but the Curry's are fantastic and we can reach Tatlow (our next destination) in the mountains fairly easily. Stayed in the Lankham Hotel, well reviewed in the Lonely Planet but a bit dissapointing. We stayed on the 4th floor only to be hit by a dribbling shower and insects around the room. Braved one night and headed to the bus station to head to the mountains. Unfortunately had another scuffle with a driver who said one price which we agreed and [View Full Entry]

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I have not been writing much so I thought I would expand a bit...hope it is not to much... We ventured from Chaing Mai via minivan to the border town of Chaing Khong. There we stayed the night at a riverside guesthouse and handed in our passports so we would have Laos Visas in the morning for the ferry ride across the Mekong. There was not much to Chaing Khong save a few restaurants and guesthouses catering to the travelers coming and going to Laos. The next morning we, along with about 90 other travelers, took the small boats across the [View Full Entry]

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Hello everybody! Its Chris writing again me and Mandy have become aware its been a while since we updated so we thought we should, update you all a bit. First of all thanks to everybody who's keeping in touch. I know its what friends and family do, but its still nice to get loads of e-mails the other side of the world! Were into Laos now, at a town called Pakse which is in the south. The last update ran up until Siem Reap in Cambodia we think? Anyway Siem Reap was really good, the temples of Angkor were really impressive, [View Full Entry]

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