Thawee Guesthouse Vientiane

... and Polo fakes were dead-ringers for the original versions. Interestingly, since many of the products being copied are manufactured in Asia, there were few appreciable differences in terms of product quality. Kind of frightening, actually. When you buy a full-price “brand-name” product in America, who’s to say it’s an original and not a fake? I understand now more than ever why manufacturers get so upset about copies of their products being sold ...

... are absaolutely filthy and amazing!

The following today we checked into a less luxurious place of lodging and then peace drove us all out to a river some diostance from Khan Koen where we sat and watched the sunset and ate some good food on a raft. Beef salad thai style, mmmm!

Today Peace driove us all the wey to Laos, a 3hr drive. What a girkl. Thai hospitality is second to none!

... arguments at riverside food stalls over glasses of ale or the local rice whisky on their origin.The most convenient way to reach Nong Khai is to take one of the many daily flights offered from Bangkok to Udon Thani, either on the national airline Thai Airways International, or one of the low-cost airlines. The flight takes 50 ...

... has to offer first hey.

ps Beer Lao is pretty good but not sure if i would swop it for a nice cold stella. On reflection the lack of violence but high level of controlled drunkeness makes me think that beer lao could solve a lot of the UKs social problems. Maybe I'll form the Beer lao party and run for office upon my return. As I'm sure I'm not the only one who has cost themselves and the taxpayer a few bob through one too many "wife beaters".

... jacket, that's all I have to say about that.

Two days later it was an 8 hour bus journey to the heart and soul of Laos, Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang is the former royal capital of Laos, its a beautful town that is Unesco Heritage Listed which means no buses, trucks, construction etc. Its set on the banks of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. The streets are clean and quiet, the houses are quaint and traditional and the food was fantastic, especially the ...

... and then in English. Wow I thought to myself, now I really do feel like a celebrity. My own private escort to the plane, two lovely flight attendants greeting me and then showing me to my seat. Needless to say, my VIP moment was short lived when the cattle car let out and everyone came running up the stairs trying to find their seats and load their over sized carry on luggage's into the overhead compartments.

... p hành giờ giấc, điểm dừng đỗ tương đối nghiêm túc, không có chuyện giờ cao su và dừng bắt khách vô tội vạ, chèn đến cổ, đến nóc xe như ta.

Cũng như các thành phố du lịch của Thái Lan, xe lam (tuk tuk), xe ba bánh (sảm lo) được sử dụng rộng răi ...

... endorsing 'development', as I have. That would at least be something.

Normally when going to countries and researchingt their histories it is, to a greater or lesser extent, difficult to relate to much of it; usually history happened well before we were born. But in Laos there was a Secret War (from our point of view) that was fought partly during my own lifetime. From 1964 to 1973 Laos had the misfortune to be geographically located next to Vietnam, China and Thailand ...