Amantaka Luang Prabang

... a LOT) of night market shopping, Jamie and I met a Canadian girl at a crepe stand and had a great conversation with her. I’m so cold and uncoordinated at the moment, I’m beginning to get homesick again, but this girl and her boyfriend have been backpacking the world, on a strict budget, for TWO YEARS. Holy ****. They started in Ireland, which she loved. She even knew that Galway is the place to be, which meant that I loved her immediately. At one stage we were throwing ...

... went to a bar called Lao Lao garden. Here we got a table and ordered some cocktails. We were also provided with free shots of lao lao whisky. I shunned mine, then fifteen minutes later as we were all chatting, spotted an eager slug making a beeline straight for it. He crawled across the table then caressed the circumference of the shot glass with his slimy body. I took this to mean he was up for a drink, so I poured some of the red liquid next to his head. Mr Slug then shrunk ...

... a multiple hour bus ride can cost a few euros, but the tuk-tuk ride into town is just as expensive, and more hassle of course. It's like this in all the towns I visited so far so I'd better get used to it. Another hurrah for NS which stops right in the middle of cities!

Smiles
Luang Prabang immediately felt like a very pleasant, welcoming city (about 26.000 inhabitants). Its centre is situated between the Mekong and another river ...

Loas has this very small and beautiful, French influenced town called Luong Prabang, that is home to one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have been to yet. I could have seen more while I was there, but we were so tired from Vang Vieng, but we did manage to see these waterfalls that I loved. We hired a tuk-tuk to take us out there and wait for us while we explored the waterfalls and we set out.

The waterfalls were about 30km outside of the town and when ...

... phrases to use on their boyfriends). Its a great project, totally rewarding for all involved, a great cause, and so much fun.

The food in LPB was phenomenal. Lao food is known for a few signature dishes as well as French food, a leftover colonial influence. A northern Lao signature is this spicy green papaya salad--shredded green papaya (tart and tangy) mixed with cabbage and onions and dressed in spicy curry oil and peanuts. Totally authentic, totally ...

... the body into positions I didn't think possible! Before we left though it was time for 2 more people to leave our group. Maria, from Canada, who had a flight booked from Luang Prabeng to Bangkok to meet some of her friends, and Tom, who was heading off to a small village to do some volunteer work.

So that's about where we are at for now, next stop is Vang Vieng which is home of the tubing. I'll do an update about that in a couple of days.

Hope all is well

UTV

Bazz x

... 1514; 92; אותנו לסירת הדיג שלנו. אנחנו מוקפי 01; מכל עבר כחתני השמחה פשוט חייכנ 93; ונהנה 93; מהרגע ...

... 1497;א? ואיך משיגי 01; סירה?. אך כעת היתה לי מטרה, "כאבן דרך מים לקרקע 97;ת האגם".
• 2;תחלנו לעבור ממע ...

... my quick assessment of the place had not been adequate to notice a few dingy details. When I pulled back the cover on the bed I encountered stained and threadbare sheets. Lovely. I am not a picky person and I can take lot of funk...but I did not want these sheets touching my skin. Fortunately, I carry a silk sleep sack for just this kind of thing. When I went to ...

... putting the hands together in a prayer-like pose and bowing slightly. Some of the more progressive men along the line insisted on a western handshake for the falangs. Some ditherers both nopped and shook hands.

At this stage we could tell who the bride was but not the groom, who could have been any one of about six men. The bride was a rather diminutive girl wearing a shiny dark blue costume who had her hair done up into what looked like a stupa with gold bands around it. She ...