Laos

Out of the Asian countries we've travelled in so far it was apparent that this was the poorest. Being one of the 20 poorest countries in the World Laos has had a lot of aid poured into it and even though you notice water pumps in some villages, most locals still have to walk to their nearest river or mountain stream to wash and use fiewood to cook their food. Despite the countries condition, Laos has been a pleasure to visit. If you want a place to kick back with a beer over looking the river and rugged green moutainsides then Nong Khiaw is the place for you. Walk through the village to be greeted by children running out onto the streets waving and shouting "sabaidee" (hello)! Enjoy watching the local men fish at dusk and relax in the hammock on your riverside hammock as you let time go by.

The tasty delights of Luang Prabang were much enjoyed by us as we sampled doughnuts, pot stickers and banana leaf wrapped eggplant. At 5.30am every morning hundreds of monks from surrounding monestries gather silently in town for the daily almsgiving where locals offer food to make merrit and show humbleness. We watched this tradition one morning, a spectacle in such a small town. This UNESCO World Heritage town is a good place to watch sunset from over the Mekong river and to marvel at the French era architecture, adding a touch of glamour.

Donning a large rubber tube we were set for our days tubing in Vang Vieng down the Nam Song river. After 4hours of playing volleyball with people from about 5 different nations and making the most of the cheap Lao beer at the riverside bars we drifted off down stream back to town, a good way to spend an afternoon.

You have to remember that this country along with its people are very relaxed, everything is done accourding to Lao time, so when your bus is due to leave and it is then that the driver decides to check the oil and change the battery you just have to sit back and smile. There's no urgency here.

Before we came to Laos we didn't know what to expect, but this lovely landlocked country has surprised us in every aspect, a country not to be overlooked!

Northern Vietnam

We didn't realise how green Vietnam was until we made our way North. Here is is very obvious, making a lovely contrast to the beaches of the South. In Ninh Binh we made our own way on motorbike to Tam Coc "three caves", this is what the vietnamese call "Halong Bay on land". Just as stunning as Halong Bay, we took a 2 hour row boat along the Ngo Dong river which weaves it way between limestone kasts and narrow caves. We were very impressed by the unsual rowing technique where they use their feet.

Spent a few days in Vietnams capital Hanoi where we ate our way through the old quarter, a maze of narrow streets where food stalls and craft shops spill out. We saw Halong Bay by doing a day trip from Hanoi where we discovered one of the Worlds natural wonders. Had a local Vietnamese lunch on the boat and then took to the emeral waters on kayaks to get a closer look.

Our favourite place in the North was Sapa. A hillside town at 1,600m and home to many ethnic minorities, it's surrounded by green peaks and rice paddies and at night becomes shrouded in mist. Sapa never fialed to be beautiful. Made some great friends in Vietnam, Hedley and Rosie especially who we kept bumping into along the way, lots of fun memories and dinners spent together. The four of us had a good day out on the bikes to a local market in Coc Ly, which thanks to Hedleys' iphone and google maps we actually managed to find! Lovely seeing the colourful flower H'mong people which gather at Coc Ly once a week from nearby villages. Even the ride there was beautiful with dramitc scenery through the valleys. A great end to a great month in Vietnam!