Luang Prabang

hi all,

i'm in an internet place in Luang Prabang, Northern Laos with a very vocal ginger and white kitten on my lap -it keeps trying to get me to stop typing and pet it some more but it's so cute I can't bring myself to get rid of it.

Thought I should surface for a quick update especially after hearing about the Earthquake - Anne and I are nowhere near the ocean - in fact it feels like the deversation is happening in a whole other world from the peacefull hills and rivers we find ourselves in. Still getting up to date on what's happened - newspapers are very rare in Laos, like hen's teeth in English and my Thai is not quite up to understanding the rather frantic speeches of the Thai news reports. So horrible.

I feel like any news I can give is pretty meaningless when such a thing is going on just a little way away but I know that you all are interested so I'll give the quick rundown.

Anne and I are loving Laos, which is much more developed then when I was last here, but still very easygoing and relaxed and beautiful. We've been taking the travling slowly, spending at least 3 days in each place. Savannakhet was dusky and quiet, with a string of great bars (well stalls with a coal fired bbq, an esky of Beer Lao and a couple of plastic chairs) on the banks of the Mehkong. Spent most evenings there drinking beer and watching the sunset.

Vientiane was tourist central after peaceful Issarn, but we enjoyed the good - French influenced western food - love thai and lao food but its nice to have some variety. Did some beurocratic stuff like extending visas, Anne was sick for much of it and spent lots of time in bed.

Veng Vieng was backpacker central with a main street full of 'traveller' bars with Friends dvds on repeat and the offer of 'happy and funny for you' shakes and omelettes etc. Not at all my favourite scene but the scenery was spectacular, next to a river with a view of fabbo Asian mountains - the kind that just go straight up from the flat plain. We went kayaking and tubing down the river (tubing definitely more fun, like being in a lounge chair on the water) and relaxed by the water.

Now we're in LP after taking a 'vip' bus full of irritating tourists up here. Anne is taking more active control of organising stuff after it became obvious that I'd been doing most of it.

Must go, Anne's waiting and there's a whole city to explore. Happy assorted end of year holidays to all and please stay safe and well.