Laos

After having our 'must do' while in India of going to see a Bollywood film on our way to the Delhi airport, Richard and I headed for Thailand. Unfortunate for Richard, the responsible one, he continued to Sydney to go back to work. Lucky me had planned to disembark in Bangkok and head for Laos. I had heard it was a lovely country so why not? Indeed, it was charming. The friendly people, the picturesque scenery, the relaxed way of life drew me in. I'd go back there in a flash!

I made a border crossing into Vientiane and after a few nights headed up to Vang Vieng. Avoiding the crowds of young tourists that had taken over part of the river front - travelling to Laos to get pissed and high and watch reruns of Friends wasn't really my thing - I hired a bike and headed down a bumpy dirt road to explore various limestone caves and waterholes.