Hey hey, so the last time we were were on our way to Pai. We arrived there after a crazy drive on windy roads and dodgy surfaces. It was nail biting at times but we got through it. Pai is this small, hippy village that in high season would be ruined so we were really pleased we visited it when it was quiet. It's full of small, boutique style restaurants, shops, markets stalls, street food and hammocks. Everyone is super nice and the vibe and atmosphere was definately my cup of tea. We stayed in a quirky guesthouse which was £2.50 a night... what a bargin.

For Tania's birthday we decided to brave it and go white water rafting.... brilliant idea but we should have gone to bed early and not partied all night with only 4 hours sleep. You think we would learn at this age! We arrived at the river and the locals were all keen to get us going, There was a Israli family with two children, a Israli couple and then Tania and I. I was looking like I was advertising sport soccer again in my sports clothes. I was a bit shocked when they got the rafts out and started blowing them up in front of us. No red tape in this country thats for sure. One of the men was smoking something that looked like a green cigar so we asked him what it was, he handed it to me to try so I took a puff of his bamboo and tree bark smoke, well within 2 minutes I had fallen in the mud on my side and Tania (who had also had a puff) and I could not stop laughing. The others were just stood there looking at us like we were on day release from the funny farm. So I got in the boat covered in wet slimy mud. As soon as I got in and sat on the side a huge bug landed on my thigh so I blew it away and it jumped straight into my face, this sent me tumbling back into the boat and again laughing my head off. The others had to laugh as it was so stupid. So we began our adventure.... Big T and I in one boat with the Israli couple, and the family in the other boat. The guide was shouting directions at us and telling us when to paddle or when to stop. After about 5 minutes I realised the girl in front was not good at team work, the guide asked her why she wasn't paddling and she said " O I don't like to do it, I like just sitting" this did not go down well with me as I had to do all the work for our side. I think at one point I got so mad that I kept shouting Paddle and actually punched her in the arm. We rafted down a river that runs through the Thailand Jungle, a seriously cool experinece, we got wet, had a great laugh, ate warm rice wrapped in bamboo leafs on a bank, saw a monkey, smoked bamboo whilst floating on our backs down a river, and everybody kept singing for Tania. (At lunch the Israli man asked me how I got my muscles, and our guide Mike lent over at one point and squezzed my arm whilst laughing - still paranoid). The Irasli couple were also so sweet and they got our English sense of humour so we had many laughs and good times.

We kept the celebration going by going out for T's birthday drinks, all the new friends we had made came out as well so we had group of very cool people, lots of Sam song (Thai rum) and of course the birthday girl herself. We danced to all hours, well actually I didn't dance, I just filmed Tania dancing like she had been possessed. The locals loved her as she was fun, tall and big boobed and kept trying to dance with her so she was basically bouncy around not stopping so they couldn't get too close. Funny as! Brilliant evening and morning (we finished at 5.30 am eating Cheese and Ham Toasties I even walked back to the shop to get 2nds as it was T's birthday, otherwise I would have made her go).

After a few chill out days we decided to move on to North Thailand and then across to Laos. This meant a few days of travelling South then North on windy roads and steep hills. Not my favourite of times and Tania wasn't feeling great but again we made it with smiles still on our faces ( well mine anyway). We crossed the boarder from Thailand on a wooden boat and two minutes later we were in Laos. Easy Peezy! We stayed one night in Huay Xia before we started our journey down the Mekone River. In Huay Xia we stayed in a hostel that gave me the creeps and I couldn't sleep at all. I had convinced myself that someone had shook my bed and the room was used as a tourture room. Tania kept saying I could sleep in her bed with her but as it was so hot I didn't know what was worse. The little old laos lady that ran the hostel was certainly a character. she reminded me of Del Boy. Two young monks came in and gave her a wod of cash so I think she also runs the town. She gave Tania and I a list of Laos rules and told us that she had to do this as "the Police were always busting my balls". The list is so funny, I can't write it all but one rule is that we are not allowed to bring man back to room to make sex movies. Damn!! Anyways the highlight of this night was meeting Kim (a swedish guy) and Cassie and Simon (very cool married couple). we only meet that night but ended spending a lot of time together over the next week and became friends and partners in crime.

The next day we all boarded the boat to cruise down the Mekone River to get to Luang Prabang, this takes two days. The boat is a very old, rickity long boat and the seats were old car seats. I had to seat next to Kim which I was nervous about at first. Everyone else had food but when he pulled out his whiskey bottle I knew we were going to be good friends. So the adventure began..... we drank, I face painted Kim and few others, we saw the most stunning sights and scenery. Young locals playing and swimming in the water, caves, fishermen, locals trading food etc etc. We had to stay one night in a village where they had a power cut so we all had a romantic meal looking over the river in candle light. I think everyone could see how much fun Kim and I had as the next day everyone turned up with a bottle of whiskey so we all had a party cruising down the Mekone River. Such a lovely experience with awesome people. Kim found a whiskey called Manhood so you can imagin the banter we all had that day. :-)

So now we are in Luang Prabang, we have stayed a bit to long as we had to wait for our Vietnam visa's but we got them today so we are heading to Vietnam tomorrow for two weeks. Luang Prabang is a cool place, very French style houses, flowers and lots of greenery that runs alongside the Mekone. we have visited Temples, we have been on bike rides, danced with Children, both got sick with dodgy food, drank Laos Beer and hung out with our mate Kim. I also went and volunteered some time to talk to young people who are learning English. I walked in to this place called Big Brother Mouse (look it up if you can) and there was only one boy sat waiting for someone to turn up. He told me he never talks to girls or western women so I sat down and began my life story.... two hours later we were the best of mates. His name was Bounmy and he was 17. It was a pleasure to chat to him. His family are so poor but do everthing they can to send him to school. He has 10 brother and sisters so life is pretty tough with all of them living in different places to go to different schools. He is the top of his class in Maths and English. He starts his day at 5am and studies from 8am to 10 pm. He works so hard to improve his future and has such high aspirations as he wants to go into Medicine or be a teacher to others. I felt so sad that we take for granted our free eduction and services. It really hits home how poor the country of laos is and how lucky we are...... I will leave you with that thought. Love to you all and chat soon xxx