Long Time No Blog

Sorry blog, I've totally deserted you. It's been a busy few weeks and getting good internet access is hard so for this, I am sorry. But I'm back now and promise to treat you better.

We are now in Laos, which is a lot like Thailand, but completely different. The people look the same, the language is similar but it's much more laid back here. There's a thing called "Laos time" which means nothing ever happens according to any time limit, so don't get stressed, just chill out and ride it out. We've come face to face with this a few times, namely with transport. But can bet your bum that the 8:30am bus won't leave until 10:00am, that the "VIP bus" you've booked isn't as VIP and new (i.e it's a broken down public bus) as you'd been led to believe by the kind guesthouse lady. Everything here is much slower, a much more laid back pace of life. Which is really nice after the hustle and bustle of Thailand, where you can't even walk down the road without someone trying to sell you something/take you somewhere. Very annoying. Laos people also aren't as pushy as Thai's, they're still very curious, especially when faced with two pale English girls. You just have to smile back if you catch someone looking at you, they're not doing it to be mean they're just curious. Laos is also one of the poorest countries in the world, so we have been making a big effort to avoid restaurants and instead opt for street stalls and local shops for food and toiletries. By doing this you can ensure you are helping the local community, rather than a big chain. And there's lots of chain restaurants in the bigger towns. The price is also so much better, if you buy from street stalls it's so much cheaper, you can get a meal and a drink from under a pound, all the food you buy is freshly cooked in front of you so it really is the better option. Definately going off restaurant dining and having someone wait on you.

We're currently in Vientiane, the capital, which reminds me too much of Bangkok so we won't be here long (hopefully). We're going to be heading south next for the 4000 islands, which is an archipelego of islands in the south of Laos.

Very much enjoying our laid back time here in Laos, the only downside we've had has been the english people we've met (not all of them I might add)., The majority of english travellers are like us, friendly, approachable and conscious of local customs and traditions. The rest are rude, loud, obnoxious and have no idea about the damaging image they are portraying of westerners abroad. It's so frustrating when we are trying really hard to fit in with the locals, and adhere to local tradition and things when the boozy 18-21's club are also here. Very frustrating. But apart from that we've met some wonderful people, so it's not all bad.

Right that's enough for one day, I won't leave it so long next time.

Peace.