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Published: January 3rd 2008
Happy New Year everyone! I hope all of you had a very nice christmas, new year's eve and that 2008 will be a great year.
I had a quite crapy christmas in Hoi An. Met Jack on the afternoon and but then he had to go to his resort to have a christmas dinner with his family (poor guy..). So I spent the evening on my own at first. Went to a restaurant run by a Swedish guy, that server Swedish christams food. Was actually really good but horrible expensive. Felt a bit sad sitting alone when there were only families around me so went to a bar/cafe to have a chocolate mousse cake and some cointreau. At 10 I felt ready for bed but stopped on my way to buy water when a guy says 'Hey, you've got red hair' (And actaully I do. I'm ginger. Did the misstake and went to a Vietnamease hair dresser's to dye my hair a bit darker. Did have some communication problems though which lead to my current hair color). Anyway, before I knew it, I was sitting on a motor bike with this guy, Australian, to go to a bar. Was no one there apart from the Canadian owner, a 2 Vietnamse guys and us. The owner was a bit sad over being away for christams and gave us free bar the whole night. Played pool and music and had the most misserable christmas ever. Would have been fun if it had been any other night than christmas.
Spent christams day on the beach and went out for dinner with Katie, Julian (the australian couple), Jack and his brother. Was gonna go to a Bia Hoi place along the river but it was flooded, so had to walk trhough knee high water for 10 minutes just to find out it was closed. Had a nice evening anyway and said then good bye to Jack for this trip.
The next day me, Katie and Julian left for Laos. But first I has a pretty hectic morning when I was gonna pick up two pairs of shoes I had let made, take new pass port photos since I couldn't find the ones I all ready had, sent loads of things home and in the middle of all this I realized that some bastard had stolen 40 Usd from me. So had to try to find a bank that wasn't closed for lunch to get more money. Very annoying. Not much very money but still.
Once on the bus I was looking forward to a smooth bus trip to Vientianne in Laos. Was going to take 24 hours including a few hours of sleep in a guesthouse at the border. But as always when you book something in Vietnam, it never goes smooth and you never get what you've paid for. The trip took instead 30 hours on 4 different busses, no guesthouse, but 8 differnet explanations of where we acutally were going, and what time were suppose to arrive in Vientianne. Still don't know which border I crossed to be honest. But we got there at least..
Wasn't too sad about leaving Vietnam. It's very tiering to travel thee since most people only seem to want your money. You have to bargain for everything and you still know that you're getting riped of big times. Of corse is evernyone not like that, but after a while you just don't want to find out if they are just nice because they are interested in you, or if they just wnat to sell you something.
I did make a few good friends in Hoi an though. The girl in the shoe shop who worked 23 hours everyday, 7 days a week, 51 weeks a year.. The day I left she came to my hotel to give me a hand bag because she thought I was so nice.. I felt as if I was the most spoiled person in the world at that time.
Laos then. Vientinanne is a very pretty modern city but quite boring. The frist night we just went out for dinner and then to the Scandinavian bakery so I could buy some Swedish sweets. Katie and Julian hated it. The second night we went to a bar to play pool but it was a bit too many Laos women wearing a little bit too much make up, and too hight heels, to feel comfortable.
The next morning we went to the bus station to catch a bus to Vang Vieng, 4 hours north. The bus was allready packed when we got there but they manage to squeeze us in. What they do is that they put 3 people on every 2-seat, then put plastic stols in the aisle, and the put standing people between the stols. after 10 minutes I couldn't feel my toes anymore. But i felt more sorry for the guy who went out for the toilet and took a bit to long so the bus just left him sitting there behind the bush..
Vang Vieng is a nice place but very touristy in the centre. I had decided to meet up with Fiona, a Scotish girl I met before, who stayed at an organic farm a few kilometres outside of town. Was a very nice hippie sort of place but very beautiful and relaxed. On new year's evec came brita, my friend from home. Was great to see her again. We went tubing, one of the must dos in Laos. You're sitting in a tube floating down the river. If you want, like most people,you stop at one of the many bars along the way and have a bucket. Brita and I however didn't stop at the bars and thought it was quite boring the whole thing. Was so slow and took forever. After 3 hours the sun was gone and we walked the last kilometer.
On the evening we had a really good dinner at the farm but went the others went to town for a party, me and Brita went to bed and was asleep before 10.
Left early the next morning for Luang Prabang where we are now. Are staying in a very nice guesthouse and have these two days just been shopping and eating. Tomorrow however we're starting a 2 days rock climbing course. Great fun! See what we'll do after that. None of us want to hurry anywhere. I have 14 more days to fill before I fly to Kuala Lumpur to take my flight to australia.
Now it's time to go to the night market for some more shopping. I don't know how many scarfs I've bought now..
Take care!
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Annika Ringkvist
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Gott Nytt År!
Hej Gumman! Mitt hjärta gör ont när jag läser det första om din julafton!Tur att den slutade på ett trevligare sätt. Har du hittat några bilar eller djungelvrål? Har precis ätit lite saltastänger gelehallon och båtar ur Kikis godispåse.Lägger en påse av något tillsammmans med ditt telefonkort.Äntligen har vi fått snö med det är snor halt! Trippar fram på vägarna men heller det än det trista regnväder vi haft.Sopbilen ville inte åka ner så det blir till att släpa upp soptunnan till eldningshögen.Ska hälsa från Fam Johansson vi var i Trosa förra helgen.Hanna kommer hem några dagar från England sen blir det kanske Austr.för henne också i vår.Hans jobbar på posten(3dagar)Åker tillbaka till Link.ev på lör.Ska se om vi kan samlas tillsammans med Erik och Kaja inna kajsa åker till Ösund .Tigger krafsar efter mat nu han lyssnar till när man säger Johanna....han längtar också efter DIG!kram mapa Hans