Villa Saykham Luang Prabang

... do a lot as we were tired got up to the temple for sunset which was cool great views again. The seccond day was rather more eventfull we went kayaking with our friends from sweden and argentina (auntie anne's bouncy ball thing was a bit of a winner) down river to the budda cave which was verry cool, then after more paddling the fun really started as we arrived in the aptly named wiskey village (actuall name renamed for ...

... who 'farm' them for their bile which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. It was feeding time when we arrived, so we spent quite a long time watching them skillfully extract food from strategically hidden locations. The sky had unfortunately chosen that day to become overcast, and the temperature had dropped a fair bit when we arrived at the waterfall, but that didn't stop Ritchie from going for a swim and throwing himself in off the rope-swing.

... travelling. Had some nice Laos food some beers and went to bed.<br><br>17th September<br>In the morning we went on a boat trip to the caves. The boat was a typical Laos boat, absolutely tiny and very long and as always didn't look safe enough to be on a large, incredibly fast flowing river! We got there by travelling along the banks only crossing the river at full speed. The caves were a little disappointing as they were just large caves with hundreds of statues of Buddha's ...

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... there. Once out I had to walk around for a bit to regain full strength of my legs. Terrible. <br> I completely digressed there and lost track of the conversation. So after lunch I usually go exploring, I check out something new just about everyday. I stay gone for a while, just to be sure to get back before around 4. If it's raining, like it has the past 3 days I just stay at the hostel and read my book, troll texags, read up on http://www.bravenewtraveler.com or write in my ...

... Such allusion is related to my story, 'Riding Through Shock and Dust.' Despite the two negative ratings I've had about it so far, the Boots n' All editor thought it was 'very nice.' Well, we're all different, I guess.<br>Apart from a post-middle aged Frenchman obviously interested in video photography, and obviously puked up on the way up, there wasn't anything of note to say about the journey; struggled to get a few photos of notable mtns, and stopped for ...

... immigration 'offical' dead to the world on a camp cot. Not really knowing quite what to do and not being able to cough any louder, i noticed 2 children playing beside their sleeping father. I was then hoping that i could quickly strike a deal with the kids, to stamp me in for less of a fee and thus the sleeping papa would be none the wiser?! If only!!.... <br> Eventually the un-uniformed official arose, much to his confusion and looked at me as ...

... wheh! But it was a beautiful and peaceful place to be. Also here is a rescue center for Asian Black Bears, called Moon Bears for the white crescent on their chests. The bears are poached and sold to people who keep them alive to "milk" the bile from their gallbladders for Chinese medicine! What an awful story! The bears here have been rescued but won't go back to the wild ...

... but there was a bewildering assortment of lesser vegetables and herbs and spices along with baskets of garlic cloves and chilli peppers. Large fish, straight from the river, lay for sale on wicker tables and numerous chickens and ducks had been stuffed into bamboo cages where they squawked and quacked respectively. In the early evening one could find a selection of the local (quite often endangered) wildlife for sale in the market, fresh from the hunters' sacks that day. I saw ...