Some thoughts on Laos...

I thought today was the end of my life.

We went on a 6 hr mini van journey from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang and it was all treacherous mountain road- I mean windey-windey, no lanes, 90 degree blind corners, lunatic driver road. At one point the narrow road was missing a lane: it had collapsed down the mountain. I hate to think how the overnight buses will manage with that. We also had to slam on brakes on the bend of a sharp right, millimeters from the edge of the cliff, as a crazy local was flying and didn't go wide enough- at that moment I thought it was all over! So I’m very happy to say we’re in our guest house in LP safe and sound.

Vang Vieng was the most amazing place with such genuine and content people (our local friends we made- LV, Bun, Wan) and the most breathtaking green mountains. And more importantly the best, most crunchiest and delicious hersheys and milo pancakes made by the locals for 10000k (70p)! They were indescribable!

If traveling through laos doesn't kill you, it definitely brings you back down to earth. There are no flushing or western toilets, no boxed/ packeted/ tinned food. Everything is completely natural. Ours bodies must be in shock with no regular additives and preservatives! Its very humbling living like the locals. I would hate to know how they would survive if we dropped them in central London!

Just when I started getting used to flushing squat toilets in Bangkok, Laos presented me with outdoor non flushing squat loo’s. Thinking it couldn't get worse, the bushes with mossies and bugs are getting used frequently- Laos style! I definitely think I have evolved more than the Laosions. They assume the squat position all the time- they prefer it to using a chair. I unfortunately have legs that are too long that bash my chin so can not squat without holding on to something.

23 November 2008