Virtual Rachel

Hello again from Luang Prubang. Change of plan due to when we can elephant trek, so not going to Nong Khiaw until Mon (I think). Quick update. Yesterday was spent wandering around the town, visiting various wats, talking to some monks, losing my guidebook, going across the river in a little boat to visit some other wats on that side, bizarrely doing our kung fu forms in front of a decrepit old monastery in the baking heat (as if we weren't sweating enough already!!), and going back over and watching the sun set over the Mekong while some crazy Australian ladies attempted to teach a waiter English. Today was another extremely hot day (where have the typhoon monsoon rains gone?!) and we went kayakking down the Nam Ou and then onto the Mekong where they joined, ... read more

Hello!! Just arrived alive in Phonsavanh! Yesterday we got the bus from Vientiane to Vang Vien. We were hoping to catch the local bus but missed it by about 5 mins, and then had a bizarre exchange with some friendly tuk tuk/bus drivers before being driven off to the 'VIP' bus. Very Important People being scruffy travellers (no Laos people, which is apparently meant to be a good thing *insert question mark as can't find it on keyboard*) and the bus contained an assortment of all the typical travelling stereotypes - dreadlocked and bearded scruffies, aging hippies etc. I was sitting next to an emaciated, long haired boy with his guitar. The journey was fine. The scenary became increasingly beautiful as we left the sprawling green (and admittedly quite pretty!) 'suburbs' of Vientiane. Amazing limestone hills ... read more

The train journey was mostly ok. I probably managed to get about five hurs sleep before being woken by people talking noisily at 5.45am. At least I'd managed not to get disturbed by the people snoring. Not long after the tea man re-started his walks up and down the carriages calling out 'Chaichaichai' - a great tactic. Wake people up and what will they want?! We actually made it into Delhi more or less on time - back to the chaos (although ti's not as though Amritsar was free of noise and pollution). My feelings about Delhi have changed. It's too big and spread out, and every time you try to get anywhere, people try to rip you off! The novelty of the insane traffic quickly ears off. And the constant begging by small children each ... read more

We woke up earlier than we had become used to and after another hefty breakfast, got our things together and walked off down the mountain to where we had jeeps waiting for us. Drove into Chamba Town, stopping at a couple of temples on the way (one which included a church bell). In town, we stopped into the hospital to see Prakash's daughter and first born grandchild who was born the day we arrived at Orchard Hut. Very small. Then we departed on the long drive down from the mountains and out of Himachal Pradesh. We finally reached the town from where we were to get the train to Amritsar. There was some sort of celebration going on for a Guru's birthday, so the streets were lined with drunken people who had clearly never seen ... read more

Ok, desperately trying to catch up before we go to the border ceremony (in Amritsar now). So on the 4th we commenced our second day's trek (with Canadian Boy, Dog and now Dog 2) to Chamba, which is, surprisingly, in the Chamba valley. We were all pleased to leave the hostility of Khadjir (besides Horseboy, the general atmosphere was quite unpleasant). An easy walk, pretty much downhill (Chamba is significantly lower than the places we'd been in Himachal Pradesh previously), with a stop at 'Biscuit Point', where the Britishers use to stop for tea and biscuits, back in the day. Being back in the bustle of Chamba Town was a little odd, and I was feeling quite sensitive with regards to any of the stares (which are, let's say, plentiful wherever you go in India ... read more