Another counrtry done and dusted, Laos was short but sweet and a rather more adventourous experience. Our journey to Laos started in Hanoi airport where after quite a long delay we finally were told we could check in. Having done all this clever will decides to leave his leatherman knife in his hand luggage. What a disaster, anyway that was all sorted out eventually and had wasted some more time. We were now ready to get on our Vietnam airlines flight to Luang Prabang in laos. Once on the run way we were escorted over to the Laos airlines planes the only airline in the world that does not publish any accident statistics and an airline we have been told not to fly with, and paid extra money not to fly with. The flight turned out ok a bit of a crazy decent and landing but we made it. The next day was another temple day but luckily for us these were very different from the ones we had seen before…quiet!! After an afternoon of wandering around the amazing Luang Prabang we heading up their famous mount phousi to watch the sunset over the city unfortunately we weren’t the only ones with this idea but still beautiful…. And then headed to the night market to try and steal a few bargains. After such an eventful day we decided to go for dinner at a place where you had a bbq in the middle of the table and cooked your own meat..yum! After getting up the next day at 5am to watch the monks procession will and laura were feelin a little tired so decided to chill out on a longboat to the ‘pak ou’ caves filled with buddhas which turned out a little disappointing (or as will puts it the worst thing on our trip!!) So we stopped of for some lao whisky on the way home to cheer ourselves up ooo and later decided to continue our alcohol run with our first glasses of red wine in months…heaven!!! Ok so the next day we had booked in for a two day trek into the mountains surrounding luang prabang. To start with we headed off on our bikes to the first village where after breaking for lunch we headed up to our first hill tribe on foot through rivers and overgrown grass in the scorching heat. After stopping at the local school here to give them gifts (our free toothbrushes we had collected on route from the hotels!!!) and then headed further into the mountains through more rivers to the hmong village situated in between a gorgeous array of mountains. Here we were shown to our wooden hut and bamboo bed (no mattress!!) where we would sleep for the night with our family of twelve. After sitting around the campfire and surviving our trips in the dark to the toilet we settled doen with the family in ths hut for dinner which we think was pork… although they had a lot of dogs?! After surviving the night we were awoken to the lovelt smell of rats cooking as we tucked into our breakfast and after running outside to escape the smell we enjoyed the rest of our breakfast watching dogs eat a babies poo in the middle of the courtyard!! Real life experience!! After walking (or running?!) down the mountain after breakfast we arrived at the river to start our kayaking adventure. After a short kayak we arrived at the tadse falls… crazy pretty limestone falls where we had a quick dip and then a long three hour kayak (well for will!!) back to luang prabang through the laos countryside and rapids. The next day we headed to Vang Vieng the backpacker haven streets lined with bars where u can get happy this and happy that and friends and simpsons playing 24/7 with comfy sofas! The reason so many backpackers are here..tubing… which Laura, Will, Jamie and Brent decided to give a go. Setting off at 10am we slowly cruised down the river in our tubes stopping off within 5 minutes at our first bar for a beer and a swing (a nice small one which even laura tried!!!). After being told the best was yet to come we grabbed our beers and headed to the next bar got pulled in to find a 7 metre high bamboo constructed tower with a lever to swing attached to an even higher pole so off went will for a few hours until he decided to go so high he couldn’t control himself and landed on his back ouch!!! Quite a few beers and swings later we arrived back to vang vieng at around 6 ready for our banana pancakes after quite an eventful day!!! After a night filled of the simpsons the next day we grabbed a scooter and visited some limestones caves around vang vieng. As we had a bus early afternoon to vientene we got up very early so early that it was only Laura and I in a massive cave full of monks who seem to be as amazed with us as we were with them!!! After a dip off on the blue lagoon outside we headed back to catch our bus to Vientiane. After being put up in an amazing hotel for 7 pound a night and eating English burgers and dips we caught a night bus back to Thailand to Chiang Mai our next leg…..

Hope your all well pls fill us in… hope Christmas preparations are under way and we will look forward to seeing you all soon!!! Love Will and Laura xxx