Laos

Not sure where I left off but we were in Thailand and heading towards the border at Chaing Kong. We spent the night in some plush villa style sheds and then set off for the epic 2 day slow boat down the Mekong river.

We met some great people on the boat, 2 girls called Tracey and Rachel and a couple, Orren (Aussie) and Emily. The slow boat was great and the views from the vally were like something out of Jarassic Park - epic! We stayed in Pakbang for a night then hit the Thai Wisky on the boat for the second day - very wrong but verry funny.

We hit the shore of Louang Pabang (spelling is wrong) and drank with the girls and played pool by the river, very peacefull town and the Laos people really take care of you. We chilled out here for a couple of days and took a trip to the local waterfall, what can I say...........amazing! (starting to overuse this word now)

The waterfall spring is located 60m above the lime stone cliff and drops in to a series of plunge pools which act as a cool spa. Hours were spent here diving from a smaller 5m cliff (rock) and swinging from the rope swing.

Vang Viang -

After a 5 hour bus ride (which is nothing now as we are hardened travellers) we hit the crazy town of Vang Viang!!!

This is the tubing capital of the world (please youtube it) and it's the most fun we have had so far. You are given an old tracktor innertube and take a short tuk tuk ride 4km up the river to the first bar. You drop your tube at the side and set down the river. We had been warned of horror stories from locals about drinking and tubing (sounds strange i know) but that didn't stop us from getting smashed on Beer Lao and Thai whisky. We swang from the trees with beers in hand and hit the warter with force. Lao locals swing ropes out in to the river and pull you in to their bar. You drink, dance, dive back in the river and off to the next one. Dale is still covered in bruses and I swear the cannonball from the 30ft dive board has broken my coxix. It hurts soooooooo much!

We loved tubing so much that we cancelled our bus ticket and stayed another night and did it again the following day, hung over but still game. Myself and Olly decided to just swim thistime, how hard can it be if you have a beer in your hand???

I found out the hard way and consumed about my body weight in Mekong river water. Thankfully Eve, a northern stranger from the drak saved me. Oh when i said saved me I kind of dominated her tube and kicked her out. She made the final part of the day as I had almost thought it couldn't get much more entertaining.

Note= drinking and tubing adfter dark results in river snakes swiming no more than 10ft past you! - shit!

We now deserve a break from the beers so end up chilling in Vientiane which is the capital but not much to do, avoid coming here if you don't want to shop.

Next stop is Vietnam, we are moving quick and covering a lot of ground but so far it is working out ok.

Oh did i mention we have a 24 hour bus ride to takle first....... it's fine we are hardened travellers! fingers crossed the bandits don't demand money!!!