Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang - favourite city in Laos! Best baguettes I've had, beautiful temples, great restaurants along the Mekong, and really friendly people! The night markets were amazing - I could have spent so much money there if I had room in my backpack! The morning markets were interesting - live frogs, dead frogs, live ducks, fresh meat, roasted bats, fish...Quite confronting at 7.30 in the morning on a lao lao hangover! Went out to the most amazing waterfall which had so many different lagoons to swim in - here was a Sun Bear Rescue Park where the sun bears were just hanging out in their tyre hammocks, watching everyone! Some really awesome bars here too.....DON"T have the Lao lao cocktails. One of our favourite things we did was go across the Mekong River and walk through a little village (in the mud) to a sacred cave that has damaged and decaying Buddahs. This limestone cave was amazing - there was even a sleeping monk (in a coffin) to watch over the buddahs (Or maybe it was the other way around - I can't remember!) Photos do not do this justice!

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LAOS - Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha - first stop in Laos! Not much to do in town but we hired a scooter and rode 60km up the road through the jungle to Muang Singh - up near the Chinese border. Beautiful scenery, really smooth roads, friendly little kids in the villages yelling out hello and a beautiful waterfall on the way back. The next day we hired bicyles and road around town. We rode to a tiny little village and I was so hot I wanted to swim in the river. I asked this group of little boys if I could swim down there and they nodded and smiled. There ended up being about 20 kids watching me try to take off my singlet and shorts while keeping my sarong wrapped around me then they watched me splash around in the river - just laughing and talking! Just beautiful little people! (I've been really hesitant to take photos of people in the villages - especially the children. You are meant to ask if you can take their photo and these kids said no which is fair enough.)

The Elephant Post (A Special Treat for me.....)

In Chiang Mai I went to a one day Elephant Mahout Lesson where you learn to ride an elephant at the Thai Elephant Home. No words needed..... (I would put more photos up but they have taken FOREVER to upload - I have a whole slide show for when we get home!)

Along the way.......(the boring bits)

Hat Yai to Bangkok - 3rd class train carriage! No air con - just the open window. We were the only farangs. At each little station all these people selling food would hop on and walk through - pork buns, noodles, fruit, lollies, cold drinks. a cute little girl sat opposite us Bangkok - Chang, Khoa San Road, MBK Centre, Chang, the Emerald Buddah, Chang, Grand Palace. Blah Blah Blah. Chiang Mai - Temples, chang bicycles, giving monks their daily alms, a rooftop terrace, chang and a very special treat for Elle. (see next post) Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong,then across the river into Huay Xia, Laos....!