Day 28 - Alice no better this morning unfortunately and to make matters worse we have to check out of this hotel to move about 1km away. I went to the next hotel with my big bag hoping I could check in which I could. I then discovered that the hotel we her been in for 2 nights only takes cash so it was a quick walk into town to get some cash. Bloomin cash machine wouldn't give me any so guess we had ran out on the card! Back to the hotel to check but the wifi was not working!! Checked next door but his was down aswell, arghhhhhhhh. I then went to an Internet cafe and topped the card up followed by another trip to the cash machine.

After all this running around, we finally paid the hotel bill and we then trekked to the next hotel, Alice's large bag weighing me down! Settled her into the room and then I decided to fly solo and go and see Tad Se which is a set of waterfalls and was approximately 16km's away. I asked the hotel how much a tuk tuk would be and they said 200,000kip so I decided to chance it and wandered up to town. A bit of haggling, I got one for 140,000 and he would wait for me whilst I had a look at the waterfalls. We arrived at the boat station as there is a 10 minute boat ride to the falls. As soon as I got there, 2 German women and 2 old English women were waiting for a boat so I jumped in with them. At the other side, I had a good look around the falls including an unscheduled trek off piste as I saw a path to the side of the falls and decided to follow it! Up some very long, steep steps I eventually came across a rope ladder down a cliff so turned back.

Back at the falls I had a lounge by the pool near the middle of the falls where the restaurant was. Quite a few people swimming and just lounging in the sun. After about half an hour I decided I should head back. I went to the boat station to be told I'd have to wait for 5 others to fill the boat, damn. A local woman then turned up with baby in hand. 2 minutes later we set off, must be local rules or something but I wasn't
complaining as you have to pay more if you want the boat to take you back on your own. They didn't ask me for any more money the other end so off I went to find the tuk tuk driver. A different driver for some reason.

A little way into the ride home, we started to climb quite a steep hill. We passed a woman pushing a bike and then around the corner, I'm guessing her boyfriend waiting for her. We continued to climb the hill and the further we went the more the guilt set in. I tapped on the drivers rear window so he stopped and I hopped out to asked whether we could go back and pick them up. My sign language is obviously better than I thought as he turned us around and we headed back down. We came across the couple who were now together and I asked if they wanted a lift. Not sure they could believe their luck but then came the problem of where the bikes would go. Luckily they fitted in the back of the tuk tuk and off we went. I didn't get a chance to ask but I think they were a Dutch couple. I said just tap on the window when you want to get out or join me all the way back to town. Over the hill they got out to cruise back into town and they were very very appreciative of the help. I'm sure it would have taken her about 6 hours to climb the hill!! She offered me some cash but I turned it down. Good deed for the day done!!

As I got back into town on the tuk tuk I recognised a person in a yellow t-shirt walking on the pavement and there was Ben again, random!! I gave a wave but he didn't see me and I couldn't stop as I had to go and check on Alice.

Still not good and still in bed, she fancied some sort of food, a ham sandwich of all things!! I went up to the bakery and the ham sandwich came with some kind of dressing. Due to translation issues, I just grabbed a plain baguette and a pain ou chocolate for myself as I hadn't had lunch. A bit of chill out at the hotel for an hour or so. Finally had wifi so could print out the sleeper train tickets for tomorrow. I had to send the e-mail to the receptionist who then printed them for me after a few language issues, again. Must be my 'posh' English accent!!

Alice decided she didn't fancy dinner so I was solo again. I headed down to the river to have a look at the restaurants down there again. 3 nights in a row but loads of places to chose from. Looked at a few places but with no one in which I take as a bad sign so carried on. Ended up at a nice place which had a few couples and randoms in so thought, why not. The place was quiet until a school trip of teenage american girls turned up, about 30 of them!! Went safe and had fried beef with steamed rice. I tried to order a portion of sticky rice aswell as it may be my last opportunity but again language got in the way. The waitress called over the English speaking (ish) waiter so I could ask him but he kept saying, "you want steamed or sticky rice, you want steamed or sticky rice?". The more I said, "both" the more confused he got so I just said, "forget it, just the steamed rice please". Good meal actually, for only 35,000kip, about £2.70.

Decided to have a leisurely stroll back through the market and for somewhere to have one last beer lao. Most of the places in town have inflated prices so I went down to the Nam Khan river and had a beer riverside.

On my return to the hotel I could hear some loud music being played from the restaurant just down the road. I thought nothing of it until I got to the room. The music was still loud even in the room and I realised it was karaoke as the singing was simply awful (as bad as my Johnny Cash would you believe!). After about an hour or so enough was enough so I went to reception where a French chap was there already complaining. He demanded to speak to the manager who was 'in a meeting' (at 10pm, really). He said on the phone there was nothing he could do about it. I went out onto the street and realised that there also a party in another place down the road and they were clearly trying to out do each other!! About half an hour of complaining via the phone to the manager, we eventually got the receptionist to go over there and ask them to just turn it down a bit. No joy as they said they didn't care. After a bit more moaning I decided it was not worth the effort. The only saving grace was that Liverpool vs Man City was on the TV until 01:00, damn you Joe Hart!!

Shame as it's a really nice hotel in the most pleasant, peaceful (so we thought) part of town.

Really hoping Alice feels better tomorrow not least as we have a flight to Vientiane and then an overnight sleeper train down to Bangkok. Not sure the sleeper will do her stomach too many favours.