Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng - Vientiane

After arriving on the slow boat we made our way to find some accommodation (we being the lovely Mark and Louise who I first met in Thailand then bumped into again on the boat...it is indeed a very small world) Luang Prabang was small and very relaxing with beautiful scenery, waterfalls, walks, temples and food ! oh and night markets and red wine !!! I spent three days pottering about the sights, walking and generally enjoying the atmosphere here and decided I would like to stay much longer (if I only had a year !) I went to one of the temples where I was approached by a curious young monk 'Sombath' who asked if he and some of his friends could practice English. This was a great opportunity to put my TEFL qualification into good use (being as the India plan was a no go area in the floods !) I really enjoyed an afternoon with them and relished the chance to learn more about the culture of the Buddhist monks i even learnt how a monk ties his robe for different occasions and the daily routines they follow. The Monks were lots of fun to be around and wanted me to stay and teach in their school, perhaps next year ?! I have comitted to sponsor Sombaths education for the next year at least.

On the epic road trip from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng I began to feel very sick and hot, thinking it was indeed the heat and the incredibly windy roads up what felt like 90 degree mountains...7 hours later after arriving in VV I was being violently sick like never before (not even from too much wine !) this lasted for 12 hours at which point the owner of the guest house found me being very sick in a semi delirious state and took me to hospital. Laos is not the place to get ill and visit the hospital !!! luckily i am a foreigner and can afford to pay for the treatment on offer but the treatment was not really what i needed, I was discharged with suspected malaria. I was very ill for the next three days at which point i felt strong enough to seek some medical attention at the Australian embassy clinic in Vientiene (3 hours away) after tests etc it turned out i had dengue fever also caused by a mosquito bite with similar symptoms but not fatal. Anyway feeling better now but rather upset at missing out on Vang Vieng and being forced to slow down and even take an internal flight which was not in the plan ! oh well at least i am alive and still travelling and not in a box on a plane back to the UK.

Vientiane is a quirky little place, the capital of Laos and very French in feeling with little bakeries and yummy pain au chocolate, succulent steaks and wine its a good place for a chill out although there is not much to see in the city itself in terms of 'sights' the place has a really lovely feel.

Pics show Luang Prabang sun set, lazy cat friend, teaching monks and a beautiful Laos temple.