To get from Luang Prabang to the Thai border at Heuy Xai we had to take a slow boat for two days up the Mekong. Most people do the trip in the opposite direction so it wasn't as packed with annoying backpackers, though there were still a few on the boat. The trip was pretty uneventful, I got to read about 200+ pages of a book and watch a few movies on my iPod. The scenery was pretty fantastic and it got better and better the further upriver we went. The view out from our hostel window where we stopped for the night was amazing; the full moon was shining through the clouds, lighting up the river that is normally a dull, rushing brown during the day into a silver arc cutting through the blacked out hills.

The second day was a lot quicker but less comfortable than the first day. We had a lot of kids waving at us from the shore, some jumping into the river and trying to swim out to the boat for fun. There was also a point where the boat stopped to let a load of locals on to sell food and beer. When we got to Huey Xai we looked at doing the Gibbon Experience, which is three days trekking through the jungle and staying in a tree-house, but it was too expensive, so I'll have to find some monkeys somewhere else :(

Have a goo at the photos on Flickr.

The Kuang SI Waterfall in Luang Prabang is such a beautiful place. Six of us took a tuk tuk out there and spent the day climbing around the different levels and jumping into the swimming areas, which was great in the heat. There was also some cool rope swings that I had a good time flying off… Elaine even had a go jumping into the water, she's hardcore!

Luang Prabang is really chilled out and there's a cool night market every night. There's lots of food and clothes and trinkets on sale, and it's good fun to walk around being nosey. Luang Prabang is also home to a lot of monks who live in the Wats around town. If you get up early enough – around 5am – you can go and see them on their daily trek around town, where the local people give them rice and food in return for blessings. It's really something to see, with their bright orange robes lighting up a rainy morning.

Check out the Flickr and drop a few comments. And stay classy.

So we finally moved on from Vietnam and Laos is almost the exact opposite; the people are chilled out and friendly, not in your face and trying to scam you! We crashed in Vientiane for a few days, enjoying the finer things in life, like foot-long sandwiches, outdoor swimming pools and bowling! Yes, bowling, the sport of fat people and Amish miscreants. We met up with  Martyn and Emily, a couple we'ld met in Vietnam so it was cool to go for a few beers and make some strikes!

We're all headed up to Vang Vieng, the tubing capital of the world, for much debauchery and floating down the Nam Song river. As always check that shit out on Flickr and drop some comments y'all. Word to yo mommas!

PS apologies to black people everywhere.