This is my final blog, part of my attempt to kill 12 hours of layover time in Bangkok. Only 7 to go... I could try and sum up how very incredible these 2 months have been but that's rather an intimidating task, so I'm just going to bang on about how much I love Laos for a while. I have to admit that the little I knew about Laos before this trip focused on the subject (now a controversial one) of tubing. I was greatly looking forward to the chance of floating ...

I'm typing this with a bandaged index finger that I had to redress myself this evening - I look like I have permanently have a bobble-head finger puppet on. Yes, sadly Bangkok hit me hard. Throat, nose, finger, toe - I went to the hospital with not one but four issues. I wound up having minor finger surgery. My favourite part of this experience was watching the horror film (think a Thai Saw) in the waiting area. Good one that. Really my favourite part was, on se...

Friday marked the end of my time with IHF, and a sad thing this was too. The last week was great fun - showing the kids Gene Kelly tap dancing to 'Singing in the Rain' brought much joy (to them as well as me) and I finally managed to get back in the (bike) saddle with a rather dodgy trip through the city as steering was still a minor issue for me. On my final night we threw a fondue party to top off a great last couple of days spent exploring CR with Laura my fel...

Three weeks in and I've more than settled into the way of life here. The days are just slipping through my fingers, and in 6 days I'm to leave to embark on my travels! It feels such a shame to be leaving after one short month, as I am only just now feeling that the kids here are letting their barriers down (understandably) and I'm getting into the swing of teaching them. On Tuesday I taught an art class, a challenge in itself for me - art isn't a strong point!, b...

The last few days have seen me take a break from the orphanage, and embark on a 2 day trip to Chiang Rai's bigger sister, Chiang Mai. CM is the capital of the North, as well as being the city of wats and sure enough there were a lot of them! I even had the privilege of having an hour and a half long chat with a monk about the workings of a temple and the nature of Buddhism. Enlightening stuff you might say. I was met at the bus station by a lovely friend of a fr...