Laos

After my magnificent stay in Vietnam, a month ago (bit behind on my blogging, but there ya go), our crew flew into Vientiane, the captial of Laos. Vientiane in itself is not the prettiest of cities, so already the next morning we were on our way to the backpacker city, Vang Vieng, where everyone appears to have taken a chill pill. If you wanna chill out in a bohemian cushiony restaurant while watching "Friends" on repeat, this is the place to do exactly that.

Unfortunately by the time we reached the place, people were dropping like flies. One after the other got sick. After having looked at the menus at the shady restaurants along the way, where they sold "deer meat soaked in the feces in the intestine", one can only wonder why. Later I got told that at the meat markets around the country they hit the raw, bloody meat with money for good luck, so there are loads of diseases for fragile western tummies louring in our wallets. To pick up a hand sanitizer OCD before going is a good tip!

The world heritage city, Luang Prabang, was up next. When we were there, the yearly waterfestival kicked off, so if you took a step outside you were already soaked with manky river water. One day we joined in on the fun, got a few waterguns and engaged in Battle Royal in the streets. Luang Prabang also has a brilliant night market, Phousi market, next to Mount Phousi... All puns possible have been used, believe you me.

After a few days we continued up the Mekong River and stopped at a little village by the lake. They were as curious of us as we were of them. Very shy, but oh so friendly. I got to sleep on the floor of the village chief's house, and slept like a baby compared to my friends who were either too worried about death by scorpions, too furious with confused roosters or merely too hot in this boiling pot of a country.

After a great homestay we crossed over to the Thai border and went through Chiang Kong and Chiang Mai before getting on yet another lush sleeper train down to Bangkok. The last days in Bangkok I spent with my babes, Tills, Rob and Harry, the latter one doesn't even lift. I laugh so much when I'm with these guys I think I've gained a dozen new wrinkles.

Cheers!

Lots of love from the traveling road,

Merete // Mellie