Hi everyone, We decided after reading in the lonely planet that the Laos and Vietnam border was hard work so we decided to fly into Vientiane the capital instead. We booked the flight on Laos airlines which was a small but impressive airline considering its size and we got something to eat which beats the Easyjets of this world hands down. After arriving at Vientiane we had to get to our Hotel and as everyone does not speak any English and our hotel was outside the main town it proved to be a bit tricky however after a bit of showing the map we were heading in the right direction we hoped. The first thing that hit us about Laos is how quiet and relaxing it was after the mayhem of Vietnam and the people pretty much have to be persuaded to help you or sell you something which we quite liked. First full day we spent seeing the sights which again is a few temples which were quite impressive along with an arch modelled on the arc de triomphe in France, then it was to some small markets for some haggling fun. In the evening we went out for some food next to the Mekong on a restaurant constructed from wooden pallets with small tables and you sat on the floor and ate overlooking the river and the sunset. I had Laap which is a very hot mince with mint and vegtables which was extremely nice but a bit lethal. Lorna had a dish which you cooked yourself in a flower pot burner which again had mint, herbs, mint, chilli and noodles ( see pics ) this was a favourite meal I think in Laos a real experience. Next day we were heading to Vang Vieng for some tubing down the river and to save money opted for the bus. The route was very windy and the scenary, as Laos has huge limestone mountains, was spectacular so the journey went quite quick. We got to Vang Vieng in the late pm and opted for a hotel on the river which was only about 8 pounds a night with views of the mountains in the background. Vang Vieng is a true backpacker town and the place has lots of bars with tv's playing friends so we chilled out for a while then went to bed early. Next morning we had decided to go and see a cave near our hotel before tubing in the afternoon. The cave was about 1km away so we walked across the farm fields to a limestone hill and the cave was inside the hill. However when arriving we realised that the caves were not the true adventure, there were Bamboo ladders up the cliffs to the top and views of Vang Vieng. I couldn't resist the challenge and set to climbing up the ladders and about half way up realised the ladders stopped and the only way was up the steep cliffs with alot of loose rocks and leaf litter. I made it even though a bit shakey and the views were worth it but getting down was even scarier so Lorna was glad she did not attempt it. The afternoon was tubing and we had heard all around the world about this so we were very excited. The river is 3km from the town and it takes 3 hours to glide down the river back to Vang Vieng however all the way down are makeshift bars with rope swings and zip wires. Each bar throw out ropes to drag your tube to their bar and the beer and spirits were very cheap (about 50 p a litre of beer and 2 pounds a bucket of vodka and redbull). As you can imagine the result of hundreds of backpackers, Alchohol and water makes for quite an interesting trip and it was well worth the visit. Next it was Luang Prabang and again we opted for the Bus and we arrived out the bus station to a hoard of people getting you into Guesthouses as you can not really prebook in Laos. It was the few days leading up to the New year celebrations ( Water Festival) so the locals were practicing on all Tuk Tuks coming into town so we got a bit wet as they through buckets at it. Both Lorna and I were paying the price for too much travelling and Malaria tablets and were not well for the next few days. So we spent the four days in Luang Prabang relaxing and spending time out of the sun. However on our last day we did have time for some Festival watching and enjoyed seeing the locals showing us tourists how it is done and getting everyone very wet. The kids/adults line the streets and if you try to pass they will soak you (unless you have valuables) so it was always a job to avoid them as after the 10th soaking it becomes a bit tiresome. However we thought the English have lot to learn from this celebration as this was certainly the funniest thing to watch from the safety of a bar. Next is Thailand, Chang Mai where they have the biggest celebration for the new year so again we are going to get wet !!! Looking forward to seeing you all soon love alex and lorna