Hello from Laos

Headed for Chiang Mai from Bangkok - a 13 hour overnight train trip - no sleep but quite a lot of card playing, drinking and jokes.... Arrived feeling like death but the walled city is beautiful and visited yet another temple (ABT to the Aussies....) of Doi Suthep followed by the night market - endless little stalls individually lit selling everything from the weird to the wonderful. Am restraining myself well, the old rucksack is heavy enough without extras. I did manage to get blessed by a monk, had to shuffle forward head bowed on knees towards Buddha to receive a piece of string tied to my wrist followed by a sprinkling of holy water (more like a soaking really!!) - I now have enough good luck to keep all the group happy! This was followed by a meal at the cutely named Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant where their slogan is "our food guaranteed not to get you pregnant".... No mention of the alcohol though...

Next day spent 5 1/2 hours in a truck travelling through rural countryside to Chiang Khong where we stayed for a night overlooking the Mekong, readying ourselves for the trip over the border.

Sa-bai-dee - (Welcome) to Laos
Crossed the border in the pouring rain, utter chaos but ended up boarding a slow private boat for a 2-day journey down the Mekong to Luang Prabang. We docked at the end of Day 1 at a small village called Pak Beng which was great, felt like a frontier town at the edge of no-where. Lights out 10pm (generator off that is..) Beds just as hard in Laos as in Thailand, am getting used to sleeping on a sheet-covered plank. On the journey down we stopped at a couple of villages (supported by the Laos Red Cross as there isn't much else to help you survive in this region). Met the kids - of whom there are an awful lot - and spent some good time chatting and repeating our names and ages over and over again. Very smiley for all their poverty, some of the most disgusting sets of teeth it has been my privilege to witness! As with kids everywhere we have travelled, they love having their photos taken.

Our leader, Soon, a beautiful Thai lady sat on the boat and helped to make up a necklace for my friend Marilyn who had asked me to look for a special necklace for her in Chiang Mai - we managed to find the bits but had no time to get it made up. Soon is a very talented lady and it is beautiful M, I hope you will love it (if not am happy to keep it....)
Learning new words every day - having just mastered basics in Thai have now had to move on to Laos, Vietnamese to come - how lucky am I???

Now writing this from Luang Prabang - the old capital of Laos - all shimmering royal palace and remnants of faded grandeur of the Laos monarchy. It nestles in a valley surrounded by high mountains and is situated on the Mekong - lot of French influence here. Spending a couple of days here before moving on to Vientiane (the Laos capital). Last night Doug and Bob climbed 338 steps up Mount Phousi (pronounced pussy which caused some amusement to the more simple/dirty minded in the group!!) to see the sunset whilst Sheila and I sensibly headed for an aromatherapy massage and pedicure, followed by a couple of G&Ts - what more could a girl ask for?

On personal front, D & I both well (same for B&S) no tummy upsets and they sure as hell try everything that has a pulse. Its nice for D to have friends to share his foodie-loving habits with. Still incredibly hot and the humidity is a killer - shower as often as possible. Tomorrow we head out - have to be up at 5.30 am to help feed the monks asking for alms (??) and then a 7 hour trip by truck to next stop.

So please keep sending your news - love to get, no matter whether its gloomy or not, we will face that when we get home.

Love to all xxxxx

Annie & Doug