L is for Laos, L is for Leech

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Han- We have now been in Luang Prabang, a small and picturesque city, for about 4 0r 5 days. It's our favourite place so far. At night side streets are transformed into beautiful night markets selling silk scarves in a thousand colours & textures and lots of bright lanterns give the whole street a warm, rich glow.

The journey here did not give me a warm rich glow. We were on a bus for 7 hours weaving around hairpin bends approximately 600 miles above sea level with sheer drops at every corner. The only blessing in this was that the fear of falling to our doom had soon replaced my completely irrational fear of bandits, which haven't been around for some years now. Anyway, we survived and the trip was worth it although we immediately decided we were not going to take that route back.

Neil - There are lots of activities to keep us occupied. Our first was a 5 hour trek to a 100ft high (ish) waterfall, this could be reached by road in about 20 minutes or by guide hacking through the jungle for several hours. After 4 hours of walking (probably round in circles) we stopped for lunch in a small clearing with a stream, the food was good and shorlty after eating Hannah pointed to a big fat happy leech which had just dined on my foot. The rest of the journey to the waterfall was spent stamping and spraying Deet to make them release themselves.

Han - Needless to say, I DONT like leeches!!!! Regardless of the fact that I was the only person not to be bitten I was certainly the flappiest and scowled my way to the waterfall where I was worried leeches would be swimming and that I wouldn't be able to. Interestingly, when I mentioned hearing something about leeches the previous day, Neil had told me they would not be where we were going. He admitted to me after the trek that several blogs he had read mentioned ferocious leech attacks, but that he hadn't wanted to worry me. Grrrr.

The waterfall was stunning, with lots of lovely pools to swim in and places to jump from. We are definitely going back, probably by road!

Yesterday we went white water Kayaking which was really exciting. As Neil and I cannot share a kayak due to previous paddling based squabbles, we had our own single ones which is very hard work! Half way we had lunch and a game of boules with are guide who had become a lot more excitable since eating. Once back in the water, he spent most of his time falling out of his kayak, pretending to drown, pretending to be a crocodile and swimming with his paddle. It turns out his lunch consisted of several shots of Lao Lao. He was propperly off his tits! The drive home involved bibbing girls and shouting at them out of the window. Young men are the same the world over!

Neil - Laos has a curfew and all the bars have to be closed at 11.30pm as people are supposed to be at their official residence by midnight. However, for some reason they have a bowling alley which stays open much much later for all the tipsy folk to go to. Bare foot bowling is allowed and anything goes. I have had to ask Hannah for a urine sample as she kicked my arse and is suspected of using performance inhancing drugs - as you know I frown upon this kind of behaviour. After leaving the bowling alley covered in talc from a crazy powder fight we returned to our guest house, looking like ghosts, and had a game of frisby with our nice neighbours during which not one catch was made.

Han - I AM THE CHAMPION, I AM THE CHAMPION, NEIL IS THE LOSER AND I AM THE CHAMPION - OF THE WORLD!

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Photos

Waterfall pool
Hannah swang through the air and landed gracefully on her arse for this shot

Take us to the Bowling Alley!
Little did Neil know of his pending defeat!!!