"You are not single? But you are so beautiful!" (Luang Prabang)

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In our desperation to get the hell out of Vang Vieng, me, Lizzie and my dodgy stomach boarded a 6 hour mini bus to Luang Prabang, which we'd heard was lovely, laid back, and a Unesco world heritage side (darling – is there any other kind?) i.e. no lairy 18 year olds. Had I known that the journey would consist of 6 hours of the most winding roads in the world, I would have opted to stay in Vang Vieng (or at least lick the thing in the sink). However, I somehow held it together and did not throw up over Lizzie, or myself.

Luang Prabang was everything I'd hoped it would be. We arrived in the late afternoon, just in time for the Hmong night market, which is an amazing place – it feels really magical walking through it, like a maze full of bright coloured scarves and souvenirs. The stall holders are refreshingly non-pushy – no one even chased me down the road demanding I buy their goods (time to change my stereotypes of SE Asia…)!

We spent the rest of our time there cycling about, watching the sun set over the Mekong, climbing big hills (Phu Si), and watching some traditional Lao dancing at the Royal Ballet Theatre. I know, how civilized! Our stay almost passed entirely without incident, until our last night when, at our hotel reception, we enquired how much a tuk tuk to the airport would be. The young guy on reception told us, then looked at Lizzie, enchanted, at asked "You have boyfriend?" Lizzie replied that yes, sadly, she did indeed have a boyfriend. He looked distraught: "You are not single! But you’re so beautiful!" Oh, what a charmer! Lizzie then decided she could probably afford to haggle of the price of the tuk tuk, which resulted in some weird high pitched (flirtatious?) laughter on the part of our receptionist. I felt a bit like I was intruding on something…

And so, safe in the knowledge that at least one of us was beautiful, we left Laos, flying from Luang Prabang back to Bangkok.

Eugh, Bangkok.

This was my third visit, and I still haven’t managed to see anything remotely attractive about it. Maybe staying in Banglamphu, the backpacker’s ghetto, is something to do with this (note to self: must branch out). But all I think of when I think of Bangkok is a busy, dirty city full of angry people trying to rip me off. I am spending three days there with my friend Nicola at the end of Feb en route to the Thai islands, and I’ve made it my mission to find at least once nice thing in Bangkok. Suggestions welcome!

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