Week 12 Laos

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Its been a really hectic week travelling from Vientiane on a 4 hr bus trip to Vang Vieng; another 8hrs to Plain of Jars; a further 7hrs to Luang Probang; a 8hr slow boat and 8hr bus to Luang Nam Tha where i currently am.

We took the 4hr bus trip from Vientiane to the river where we kayaked the rest of the way to Vang Vieng. The blow up kayaks were really hard to steer so i zig zagged and 360 degreed the entire thing. I also mustered the guts to jump off the 30ft cliff into the river towards the end of the journey...pretty terrifying and several people we rather red after impact. Vang Vieng was amazing....one of the few remaining hippy hangouts with opium dens; outdoor lounge cinemas and cafes playing re-runs of Will and Grace, Friends and the Office. I took one day to go tubing where you sit in a large blow up ring and float down stream past tree bars/cafes/restaurants built randomly in the middle of nowhere alongside. We stopped several times to jump off tree platforms on zip wires and ropes into the river and for beer lao (the best beer in the world i am told). Unfortunately i had not timed the trip quite right and ended up floating in the river in the middle of nowhere with a few other people in the dark and freezing cold and wet keeping an eye out for bandits lol. We stopped after a few hours and waded up on shore to walk the rest of the journey without shoes and looking slightly weather beaten. Another day was spent cycling 10km to the lagoon and caves which we climbed the mountain side to and spent the whole day exploring with torches uninterrupted by any other human. Most of the cave has yet to be explored and had absolutely no restrictions or guidance as to where you could go.

From Vang Viene we headed by bus to the Plain of Jars....basically a few fields with mysterious stone jars in and where you had to be careful not to tread on any bombies - unexploded ball bearing bombs....we were a meter away from a fair few which we came across.

From Plain of Jars we headed to Luang Probang...the ancient capital of Laos. I decided however to take a 2 day trek into the jungle to stay with the elephants and live as a mahout camping outside in tents during possibly the worst thunder storm yet.

Luang Nam Tha in the north west of Laos is our final port of call before heading into China where we have just finished a trek through (and up) the mountains of the National Park and living in homestays with the hill tribes; washing in rivers and cooking lunch and dinner over camp fires in the jungle. Its been really hard work and incredibly hot work but ive enjoyed it...was glad to get back to a guesthouse and a clean (even cold) shower!

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