Tuesday February 3rd We rewarded ourselves for trudging twenty minutes with our rucksacks by breakfasting at the Luang Prabang branch of the Scandinavian Bakery. The food was as delicious usual. In the background BBC World TV News as on and showed Britain carpeted in snow - how we smiled. We bought freshly filled tuna and cheese baguettes. (In Laos cheese inevitably means a triangle of Laughing Cow spread as there are not many dairy cows to be seen - milk is usually soya by default). We just had another five minute trudge left to the boat station. We bought tickets for 100,000 kip each (£9) from the wooden shed that is the ticket office and headed down the dusty slope to locate our boat which the back of the ticket said was number 016. There were ... read more

Saturday 31st We breakfasted where we'd dined the previous evening then hailed a tuk-tuk to take us to the bus station. The engine kept cutting out but somehow we eventually made it there. We clambered aboard the grotty old bus (of course referred to in the tmetable as an Express). We were mostly westerners with a smattering of locals so for once there was not quite so for once rucksacks outnumbered the rice sacks. The few locals arrived late and had to take the plastic stools which the driver put down in the aisle as usual. Also a last minute addition was a moped which was manhandled onto the roof. Leaving Vang Vieng we travelled along the valley floor with the magnificent karst peaks above the flat paddy fields. We passed a market in a village ... read more

Thursday 29th January Strolled with our rucksacks through the empty streets in the cool of early morning to the Talat Sao (market) bus station (of course stopping for breakfast at the Scandinavian Bakery). We quickly found the local bus and luckily grabbed the last two standard seats which were two rows apart.. It was already full of locals and our rucksacks were piled at the front with the large amount of cargo that these buses carry. There were the usual sacks of rice plus all kinds of goods being transported back to the countryside. Huge packs of bread were suspended from the handrails. The jovial 'conductor' filled the aisles with little plastic stools which gradually filled with people (including a couple of other westerners and a group of five young Japanese (I think) tourists). The bus ... read more

Sunday 25th We had considered heading out to the Bolsoven Plain but in a snap decision decided instead to head for the capital Vientiane on the overnight sleeper bus which leaves at about 8:30pm in the evening. So after a delicious Indian breakfast back at Nazim's, we checked out of our guesthouse at noon and put our bags into storage till the evening. We used the day of leisure to catch up on internet browsing and visited several food and drink establishments. It is the eve of Chinese new year and many Chinese run establishments have elaborate shrines outside with offerings of food including whole chickens, ducks, sweets, beer and whisky. Incense sticks are lit. Also there are little ritual bonfires on which they put some kind of special paper offerings. A big spring clean also ... read more

Saturday 24th January We had breakfast and intended getting the local bus outside our guest house to Pakse - about 40km away. As we paid the owner our bill the bus sped past early. He said not to worry as he'd take us to the ferry to catch the bus up. This he did but the bus was already departing on the Heath Robinson catamarran that passes for a car ferry. All the locals know each other and the owner phoned the bus driver on his mobile to wait for us on the other bank. Meanwhile we boarded a small bodge of a ferry with two motorbikes and a few pedestrians. To say Jen was not keen to get on would be an understatement but with a little cajoling she got on. It was a bit ... read more

Thursday 22nd Time to leave Don Khone. We packed our bags and because of the late 11am departure had time to relax in our hammocks most of the morning. We noticed two little girls playing beside our bungalow and realised that they were going through the rubbish bag we'd left out, in case there was something of interest. They'd kept a colour brochure on Cambodia and left the rest of the rubbish strewn over the garden so I had to go out and repackage it. They were a very cute and happy little couple of girls. We know we shouldn't (because it encourages begging) but we couldn't resist giving them our last couple of sweets. At 11am the small open boat (more like a big canoe) collected us and our bags and we headed low in ... read more

Saturday 17th Up early for the journey to Laos. Five of us were waiting at the guesthouse for the same minibus to Laos. When the battered old vehicle arrived it appeared initially to be already full but our rucksacks were roped on top and we squeezed in only to be told we still had one more to pick up. Jen and I ended up sharing one seat and it was incredibly uncomfortable. The seat in front was broken and fell back against our knees. We each had only one cheek supported and my other was wedged on a lever which threatened me with an unpleasant injury every time we hit a bump. Fortunately the road is fairly new and therefore reasonably smooth. Of course there was no aircon but at least the windows opened. It was ... read more

Thursday 15th The bus for Kratie was due to leave at 7am so we breakfasted at 6:30am and the tuk-tuk picked us up at 6:50am. We sped across very busy streets to a bus depot. The lady guide got us aboard as if they had been waiting especially for us, but a few others boarded after us. Because there were only about 7 others and we were told to take our luggage on board with us we assumed that this old bus was simply a feeder bus that would take us to the actual proper bus for the journey - but after twenty minutes it became apparent that this non air conditioned bus was taking us all the way to Kratie. Although it was a bit rough and ready the few passengers meant we could occupy ... read more

Tuesday 13th January Today we decided it was time to try and learn something about the evil things that happened to Cambodian people during the time of the Khmer Rouge so with much trepidation we headed off to the Genocide Museum at Tuol Sleng. We walked for 20 minutes to it through streets thronged with Cambodians engaged in everyday life - men hammering away in workshops, elderly ladies buying fruit at the market and girls having their nails done on the kerbside. Tuol Sleng is a former school that was used as a detention and torture centre known as S21 during the 3 years that the Khmer Rouge regime were in total power from 1975-1978. Of the approx 17,000 that passed through its doors less than 12 survived. It is moving beyond words. The authorities were ... read more

Sunday 11th Up early for the bus back to Phnom Penh where we have to head to arrange our Laos visas. We were up and packed early enough to buy some tangerines and bananas from the market and head back to Fresh Eats for breakfast. Delicious - the bread especially good. As we waited for our tuk-tuk in the hotel reception the lady receptionist surprised and delighted us by giving us a free scarf each as a memento. I'd recommend the hotel anyway ( The Royal ) for value and location but this certainly confirmed it. At the nearby bus stop we found we were the only westerners on board. It was sad to be leaving Battambang - a lovely town. The bus driver was a bit of a fast one. The road was tarmacked but ... read more