(not so)lucky laos...

plugged my camera into a dodgy computer... its put a virus on my memory card, hopefully when i get back to aus i can recover the pics. atm on my camera it is saying there is nothing... 175 pics all gone. had some really good ones of the last few days.... :( GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

dont think iv posted since chiang mai, we got there on overnight train it was cool!!!
went to a MASSIVE night bazaar it had every kind of rip off you could imagine... couldnt resist a little bit of shopping :)
only stayed one night in chiang mai, we went up to see a temple on top of a massive mountain, views over the whole of chiang mai, pretty breathtaking. watched monks chant, learned about the hundreds of buddha positions... very cool. thepics on facebook of the big stairs is to get to the temple... i did it!!! you probably dont believe me haha....
after chiang mai headed up to chiang rai the most massive silver temple it was crazy. started being built 10 years ago, still going. couldnt help but laugh, inside it has a massive mural (couldnt take pics unfortunately) of all modern day temptations, had paintings of the matrix, star wars, pepsi van, converse haha also most life like sculpture of a monk, still believe it was real, its eyes followed me around the room. we were saying it would be a good prank if someone took the sculpture and sat there one day, then jumped up and scared people haha... spose you had to be there :)
then headed to chiang khong, much more relaxed town in thailand than all the rest. even chiang mai is like a city, has a big industrial side which we passed on the way to elephant riding. our guesthouse in chaing khong was right on the river bank, great view across into laos. wierd concept that just over a river is a different country. had good spicy fish for dinner, one of the other girls picked a meal of the menu that just said "lemongrass & garlic", it came and was dried pork covered in lemongrass, as well as about 50 chillies. honestly was like a fire in my mouth, all my tastebuds are gone haha.
only in chiang khong for one night, people of thailand so freaking patriotic, every building has a lifesize picture of the royals on it.. bit bizarre.
across the river/border yesterday morning, spent yesterday and today crusing down the mekong in a really long, traditional wooden boat. so cruisy, best couple of days. the river winds through heaps of mountains, with mostly rice and corn crops. there are villages dotted along the riverbanks every couple of k's. we stopped at one, the kids are so happy. there was one albino girl it was the strangest thing, it looked like she had just been left there by a traveller. its really sad she probably wont have a very long life, shes so white, and can hardly see. we left some sunglasses which made it a bit better for her.

all the kids want to do is look at the photos on your camera, had some great ones of them trying on my sunglasses, really hope i can recover them. they have nothing, its so different from how we live. its a bit surreal, not really sure what to think. the elders dont seem as happy as thekids for westerners to be coming into there village. felt a bit rude, especially taking photos. last night we stayed in pakbeng down really small, the town only have electricity from 6pm - 10.30pm run on generators... made for a very hot night. bloody rooster woke us all up at 4 in the morning as well... but banana pancakes for breakfast were good :)

today stopped and some caves, filled with over 40o0 buddha statues from hundreds of years ago. again lots of stairs to climb to get there :)

arrived in luang prabang thisarvo, real cruisy much more green and pretty. our guide said he thinks it is the prettiest village in laos. had a big night market (they seem to be everywhere inasia) the homewares are quite different patterns from thailand, i was expecting it to be really similar. have three nights in luang prabang, just bought laos sim my number is +856206448530.

XOXOXOXOOXOXXOXOXO
ps hope you had fun at the soccer ball em, well done carla on your job :D