Chang Mai

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Leaving Chang Mai tommorrow for a five hour minibus trip to the border with Laos, then in a series of hops plus two overnight stays up the Mekong to Luang Prabang. Sounds great but there are warnings in Lonely Planet Guide; the simplest is take a cushion for your bum as you can't move around too much on a packed boat and the seats are hard. The nastiest is River flukes that can lead to all sorts of tropical diseases. The common denominator is being infected by mossies. Being sensible means taking a reality check and being prepared to truant away from the trip if it looks too dodgy - hang the already paid expenses: about 20 quid.

All for now (footsoldier)

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