Adventures to Laos started…we departed Chaing Mai on a very posh luxury mini bus to Chiang Khong…something like that were we quickly checked in and passed out for the night after a very long week with the nellys, a bright and early start for what we sound found out was absolutely pointless!! Our 2 day boat trip began, with a truck journey to the border and a small boat across the river to Laos's side…

Immigration, well lets just say everyone was flapping massively, trying to be quick stressing about being late for the boat, me and jack embraced this as we thought if Laos time is anything to go by Thai time were in for a long morning and we were right!

We filled in a few forms, handed over some dollar and photos!! And we were in! A taxi to the pier where we stocked up on tuna sandwiches (to Staceys delight) and we were soon packed onto the boiling hot boat… sweats galore!!

As we got comfy in the worst seats on the boat, right at the back, next to the engine and the toilet L we were then happily informed the boat was not departing for another hour!! Oh Laos time!

Despite the captain's best efforts to remove jack from the worst seat on the boat and move him to the front with some lovely, although not very talkative Laos's folk, jack declined and hastily returned to his 's***ter' seat at the first opportunity! Thinking back, the captain was doing jack a favour but never mind….

After what felt like a very long morning we were on our way and it was true the landscape was epic, absolutely stunning, mountains, green mountains and little huts and villages so remote, it really did take your breath away! Although after about 2 hours of this, you begin to get uncomfortable old car seats with very little leg room meant a mostly unpleasant journey. Alas, we arrived in Pakbeng, the halfway point and quickly hustled a guesthouse and got some grub in. A nice curry actually, yeah, nice J meat = good, chips = good! Not much going on here so we crashed and headed out early doors to get on the boat and get some better seats as we were told it was first come, first serve. While the Germans usually take gold for being first out with their towels, stace and I were some of the earliest to arrive! JOLLY GOOD! Better seats! We thought…..till these bloody loud, uncouth, (insert more awful descriptive words of bad humans) frogs (french) rocked up next to us, quite literally, disturbing the peace….s*** off!!! Bloody French! We continued regardless and ignored these horrific humans, a little bit restless as it rained all day!! Arrived in Luang Prabang in one piece though and made haste for a guesthouse, very nice!

With a quick refresh we were off to explore this quaint riverside town, with its endless restaurants and quest houses we soon ventured upon some Laos food. We both enjoyed an amazing meal consisting of seaweed, yellow noodle soup and a coconut noodle soup!! Very nice!! We enjoyed a quick explore of the night market picking up some trusty magnets! And soon retreated as we decided to start our travel again the next day!

An early start at 8 am… we hoped on a mini bus to the bus station were we were so kindly informed that there would be a delay… a big one … a all of the rain had caused severe flooding up the road meaning the road was now a river and we couldn't cross the bridge, not ideal! We sat there with haste watching the Chinese win medal after medal at the Olympics; synchronized swimming is not the most entertaining of sports! After a mere 6 hours we hopped on the mini bus at started our journey to Vang Vieng, all was going so well until we reached that river… We parked up and got out to explore. This quiet little village had turned into a flooded mud bath and the locals were boating people across the once bridge from side to side. Jack had a flash back, earlier in the day he said this to Stacey…. 'I quote… is that a tree in the river??' Stacey replied, 'nah must be on a boat!!' Jack grunted ha-ha yeah!!!... well as we stood and watched the villagers try to make head no tail of the situation we saw yet another large tree floating, this however was not attached to a boat… it all made sense now, the river had exploded with the rainfall! After playing the mud and Stacey once again adoring the local children we were soon attempting to cross this flooded bridge, and we made it! Onwards ad upwards, up up up, turn turn turn, around around around...fog, fog, fog… Jesus H Christ! It was certainly a nail biting adventure, but we survived to tell the tale and were soon in the midst of Vang vexing!

After a day traveling, we opted to take the next day easy as opposed to tubing…the local's bars and restaurants offered seating with pillows to lie down and endless episodes of family guy and friends, marvelous. After a very chilled day we prepared psychologically for what was ahead…TUBING. We had heard so many stories of death, everyone in Vang Vieng seemed to walk around with a bandage of some limb so needless to say we were of a pensive mood. Anyways, we boarded the tuk tuk the next day with fellow nervous tubers, one proper tool giving it the big one about his mates and how dangerous it is and what not and what to do, whataaaaa a p**** Balls to him we said, as we approached the very fast flowing river we heard music and saw hoards of party goers in the distance raving in the rain. We crossed the river to the first bar and it all went downhill fro there. It's a shame jack didn't bring his toolbox cos the place was full of them! Watching absolute drunks play volleyball in the mud didn't see jack or Stacey making an appearance on court sooooo you could say we a rather mum and dad approach for the first half hour and watched the carnage that ensued. Making 'friends' (Stacey J) with some tools and some not so tools we had a blast at this bar. It's a good idea to cement friendships before tubing off to the next bar, as Stacey found out as the guy holding her just let go and jack cruised with two aussie guys and a couple of south Africans hahaha Arrival at the next bar was hardly a soft landing, a bottle of water a piece of rope made its way out to us and then you had to hold on to be pulled in. We hit the bar, literally with our bodies then got out of the water and got a bucket in. Both drunk at this point, 2 buckets down, we danced, chatted s***, and made the most of our time at STAR BAR as the rain plummeted down dampening bodies but not spirits.

Once again grabbing our tubes and lots of 'friends' we started out the tubing, Stacey this time managing to stay with everyone! Another bar where if I remember rightly? It was hellish to get pulled into, we battled the very fast flowing river and headed to the bar… memories fizzled out but jack sat in a hut with his Aussie pals and instructed Stacey to go make more friends, so she didJ!! Ha!! Party soon started to fizzle as did the day so we all hoped in our tubes to float down the river, a couple of stops to find friends we all ended up floating in the dark.. Jack, Stacey and Bath uni boy, found themselves getting out, wandering a village shouting tuk tuk to find a man instructing us to get back in the water and keep floating!! …a longer float in the dark and we got out again with lots other people and headed back to Vang Vieng on a tuk tuk!!

Drunken bodies showered and crashed for food, friends sending us to a drunken sleep, not before getting water and snacks from a shop, with no cashier so we simply took what was ours!! Little rebels!! Soon to be back fired as Stacey had a slight sickness issue in the night!! Coming back in saying I quote' oh hey babe sorry if I woke you ha-ha!! Feel a lot better now, shall we put on hbo on!'

TUBING was successful!!

Peace out!! X