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Published: September 10th 2010
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So currently we are 3 countries behind on the blog and whilst the lazy arse that Ive become wants to do nothing about it but sit on a beautiful beach drinking more beer, here goes for Laos (or what I can remember of it).
So after leaving Chang Rai in northern Thailand we headed to Chung Kong to Cross the border into Loas into a town called Xin something or other. The border was basically the Mekong River and about 5 dudes from each country on either side of it trying their best to put on the most comical show of incompetence anyone could ever hope to witness - check the photo from the long boat of the border crossing. After a while we had our visas and passage into Loas. From the town (aka tiny fishing hamlet) we were in we had to head to Luang Prabang and had the choice of 3 travel options - an 18 hour horrific bus journey, a 3 day meander on a slow boat or.....an expensive and potentially lethal 6 hour long-boat-with-a-car-motor-attached ride. You guessed it we opted for the later. Gaz and I don't really mind taking a few risks and even
when Lonely Planet had stated 'do not take the ludicrously dangerous speed boat, despite numerous fatalities its incredible how these journeys are still permitted' we ploughed on regardless. Then they showed us the boat. This coupled with Thai and Lao dues begging us not to do this as it was dangerous ensured a rapid change of tack. So the bus it was, and it still brings back bad memories. That length of time in a shitty seat around mountainous hair pin bends with all sorts of people spewing into clear plastic bags is not my idea of fun, far from it. Anyway we made Luang Prabang finally and it was worth the wait.
This entire City is UNESCO protected because of its french colonial architecture and position on the Mekong and more importantly, it knew how to party and you could get decent red wine (which after a couple of months away, along with good (non Laughing Cow or Kraft) cheese was what I was missing most).
In Luang we also hired our own guide and went Elephant Trekking and White Water rafting which was absolutely superb - at this point my best day yet traveling (I think
at least, I really cant remember yesterday never mind 7 weeks ago!!). After Luang we went onto Vang Vieng, and managed to get caught up in a land slide on route.
Quite simply Vang Vieng could be the best place on earth. This small village type place on the banks of a stunning river with awesome mountains and scenery is like the wildest most party mental place ive ever had the pleasure of visiting. The town has essentially made a name for itself with something called 'tubing' this involves hiring a rubber ring from a tuk tuk driver, them driving you 5km upstream and then hurtling down a river with all your mates in tubes stopping at ever make shift river bar on route and getting totally an utterly wasted. And we all did. Throw in the mix loads other people doing the same or playing mud volleyball and you get the picture. Unfortunately no pics from tubing as its literally cash in your sky-rocket and off you go.
In Vang a load of us hired motorbikes and went off road to a big cave and blue lagoon. Unfortunately the fake Billabong swimming shorts I had recently purchased
were not up to the challenge of cave climbing and failed critically in the crotch region exposing all and everything for anyone to see. Now this was bad enough but when it was in the cave up a mountain at the highest point and you have to get down and past the blue lagoon where there are many, many children the situation gets very bad. And then you have to ride your motorbike back to town you start to get the picture. Big thanks to Eric the American French dude for the loan of his man bag to cover my modesty!!!
So from Vang onto the Capital Vietienne - pretty rubbish and non eventful for a capital although i developed a nasty case of gastro enteritis in Vang and was bed ridden for a few days so in celebration of being back alive we searched out the best most expensive french restaurant in Laos. We had three courses with red wine (and french cheese) for 35 quid between us!!!!!
From there we went much further south to Pakse again pretty uneventful although it was notable purely for the fact that it was the start of the premier league
season and we had no electric and so were forced back to basics with the world transistor radio (thanks again dad!!!!). From there onto 4000 Islands. The Islands is basically a collection of about 20 actually inhabited or inhabitable islands close to the Cambodian border where we stayed at the most remote place possible, though we did have running water, although the claim that the place had a bathroom was a bit rich as the shower was a tap and the toilet a squatter with a bucket.
After that we crossed the border into Cambodia - been on this computer for what feels like hours and lost the will to live - besides that sounds like Gaz calling me with a bevy!!!!
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