Well, the 3 hour bus ride turned out to be 5 hours. We walked around town looking for a place to stay but all were either full or way to expensive. We finally managed to find a place with hot water and TV! Today we decided to go see Xieng Khuan otherwise known as Buddha Park. It is a garden full of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures of Vishnu, Buddha, Siva and other deities. It is pretty amazing at how big some of the statues are. Anyway, we took the local bus there, 1 hour on the no.14 bus which first stops [View Full Entry]

---

---

Today we have booked a kayaking trip down the river. Good move since I was suffering from the night before and Linda was not happy with me for coming home that smashed. I don't blame her! We left the hotel at 9.30am and made our way by tuck tuck to Tham Xang cave, also known as Elephant Cave. Here the cave has stalagmites and stalactites that have formed to look like a elephant. Also, there are a number of Buddha statues and the footprint of Buddha. There was also one very interesting story we were told by our guide. There was [View Full Entry]

---

---

We made our way to Vang Vieng on the 17th. After finding a room we walked around getting to know the town and had dinner on a bamboo hut with no walls nor chairs but an amazing view of the river and mountains. Today Linda and I hired mountain bikes and were ken to explore a few caves. The first cave we set out to explore was Poukam Cave which is 6km from town. We cycled for some time, through the jungle, over dried up river beds, rocks and so on. We finally get to a 3 way crossing and were [View Full Entry]

---

---

We were up and ready to go to Tad Sae Waterfall early. We had breakfast and head on down to Tad Sae Waterfall at about 10am. After a Tuck Tuck ride and a short boat ride we arrived at Tad Sae Waterfall. These waterfalls are made from limestone. Making its way through forest, it falls into hundreds of natural pools. This was amazing. We all take a short walk around and see the elephants walking through the pools. I decide I have to go on a elephant, Linda was not so keen. So I pay and get on to this beast [View Full Entry]

---

---

We woke up on the 14th and were keen to stay another day to explore the area and some caves close by. Unfortunately for us the whole town was fully booked so there were no rooms available and we had to leave. So we left that morning by boat then a bus ride and ended up in Luang Prabang. That day, the 15th, we found a hotel, an amazing room with a very comfortable bed, big TV and hot water. I forgot to mention, we had not showered in the last 2 days because the water in Muang Ngoi Neua was [View Full Entry]

---

---

We arrive at Muang Ngoi Neua at around lunch time. A small village set along side the Nam Ou river and at the foot hills of Mount Phaboom. There are restaurants come pubs along the river, with amazing views. We all find a place to stay, then head on for lunch and beers. On the trip we met a few more people, one Croatian who lived in South Africa for 10 years but now lives in Canada, Sasha, another couple from the UK and Ireland, a Israeli girl, a Hungarian girl and Nina, who has been with us from Sapa. While [View Full Entry]

---

---

So here we are, Linda dying in bed the last 2 days of flu and I, running errons and foriging for food. This town should not exist. There is sweet nothing here to do but slit your throat, if you can find someone here who speaks english so you can ask for a knife! Our pland was to leave Sapa and come here to sort out our money issue as my card was stollen a few days ago and Lindas card was running dry. The bus to Laos leaves this hell hole on Monday, wednesday, Friday and Sunday. So we left [View Full Entry]

---

---

First I would like to thank sweet baby Jesus, sweet infant Jesus for allowing Linda and I to make it from Sapa to Bien Dien Phu alive! Oh my God what a trip. We left Sapa at 8am for a 7 hour bus ride to Dien Bien Phu. This is one journey I will never ever do again. We booked tickets for a bus, what comes to pick us up? A mini van! This shitmobile was on its last legs. So we throw our bag into the back which the guy had to kick and pull to try open. So on [View Full Entry]

---

---

This morning we are on our way to visit 3 villages on a 9 km hike. There were 6 of us in total, 2 elderly people from the USA, another younger lady and her brother, both from the USA but he was living in Guam. He is in the US army and is based there, some island off Japan? Anyway, we started at 9am by driving down the mountain to a path off the side of the road. We were very lucky because the sun was out and not a cloud in sight. The first village we got to was Y [View Full Entry]

---

---

We woke up early today, first so we could leave the hotel which was pretty crap and expensive. Apart from a good view it had nothing. Everything was damp because these rocket scientists leave the door open when no one stays there, so the clouds and mist move in and wet everything! Anyway, we collected our washing which had not been done for some time and paid, we left with a smile, they were not to happy! We moved over to the Queen Hotel, on the main road. Not a bad place, only problem was that everything was damp, not as [View Full Entry]

---

---