Hey Guys! Last time a was just about to leave Chiang Mai. No much happened that day it was just a transfer day, we had a 5 hour bus ride from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong on the bank of the Mekong river. Along the way we stopped at the white temple in Chiang Rai which was fantastic, it's in he style of a Buddhist temple but it isn't! It was erected by and artist and is still been worked on, it is covered in comic book and film art!! We stayed in a great hotel in Chiang Khong, i had Mekong fish (bit like catfish) that evening for dinner whilst looking out over the river at Laos. Next day we crossed the river by Longtail boat to go through Laos visa control lol. We then transferred to a slow boat and cruised for 9 hours down the Mekong. Breathtaking scenary!! Seen lots of water buffalo, fishermen at work and children playing in the river, slow but lovely. We arrived in Pakbeng about 17.00, we stayed in an ace old stilted hotel on the riverside, went for dinner and had Laos Lap (it is minced meat with herbs - local kind of salad). Next day travelling again another 9 hour slow boat ride, we stopped at Pak Ou cave which has 6000 Buddha images inside. We arrived in Luang Prabang about 17.00, had Laos BBQ for dinner which was very good!! Also had a walk through the night market. Next day (yesterday) we had all included activities. We did the Ethnicologly museum about the Laos tribes, took a 45min drive to the waterfall park, saw the bear rescue centre and went for a swim in the waterfalls which was bliss. We were all hot and sticky so the swim was a real treat! On our way back to the hotel we went to the UEO Laos museum, it was about all the bombs that the Americans dropped on Laos during the Vietnam war, many of them didn't detonate and now Laos is now littered with unexploded ordinance (UEO) it was quite shocking, people working on the land and children are still getting injured by the bombs. The museum was trying to raise money to clear the bombs from the land so people can farm it again. After that we needed a little cheering up, which was supplied by the local children on the drive back to the hotel - On the 13/04/13 it is water festival Song Kran which celebrates the New Year in south east asia, throwing water is a symbol of the festival which has been embraced by the kids!! A new tradition has sprung up to wait for tourists open pick up trucks coming back into the village and absolutley soak them!!!! Great fun and quite refreshing lol! After a long chill out we went for dinner which last night was in a Laos persons home, we were given traditional ceremony of welcoming visitors into the home - Prayers and blessings are said then white cotton threads are tied around both of the visitors wrists. Fantastic meal! This morning my alarm didn't go off (battery died)! I was supposed to be meeting the gang to go watch the local people give alms to the monks at 5.00 but i woke up at 6.00, i go up and out within 10mins and just caught the end of it!! Seen as is was nice and cool i walked up the 328 steps to That Chomsi for 360 degree views of the city, then went to Wat Xieng Thong - it is the symbol of Laos and the oldest temple, had breakfast and went to the National Museum which was the Laos kings old palace. So thats me all up to date now i will be just chilling this afternoon. We will be going to Vang Viang tomorrow i'll update when i can but it might be in Vientiane. Ciao for now! xxxx