After all that bother getting out of China, we eventually reached Laos and what a difference a border makes. While still being a “People’s Democratic Republic” it still retains a great deal of French culture and style. Before we got to experience that, we drove through some stunning country – all jungles and houses on stilts. It was a very innocent way of life with small children running round the village naked and running out to wave at the truck as we passed. 
We had a bushcamp halfway to Luang Prabang and as we weren’t cooking that night a few of us wandered into the next village in search of the fabled Beer Lao. Easier said than done when there are no street lights, most houses in the village had no electricity and there was no moon – if we ever appreciated our Maglite’s and Petzl’s, it was that night. This was to be our first experience of the amazing hospitality the Laotians show to visitors. We found the village store that unfortunately had no beer but then one of the local guys arrived and said he had some at home that he would happily share with us; after an interesting conversation and a quick run up to his house, we had our beer and were back to the bushcamp in time for tea. 
That night was one of the most spectacular since the deserts of Baluchistan with amazing stars, an electrical storm in the distance and the sounds of the jungle all around. 
The next day we set off early after waking to the sounds of Guns ‘n Roses “Welcome to the jungle” over the truck PA. Within half an hour we were lost and then an hour later we discovered the mighty Mekong River – good and bad news: bad because we couldn’t get the truck across and would have to backtrack for several hours; good news because it meant twenty of us could hire a longboat for a leisurely cruise down to Luang Prabang. This was a great journey, virgin jungle on either bank with isolated settlements only reachable by boat, the slow running river and the sun shining. It took seven hours but it was amazing reaching town by boat at dusk after another incredible storm (something we would get used to in Laos).
Luang Prabang was at first sight just another little town with a main road and a few side streets but once you started wandering through the night markets and past beautiful French colonial buildings you soon realized that this was somewhere special. We checked in to our hotel and set off to explore. We’d heard about a French restaurant called Apsara and had to check it out – we had a really nice meal with an ice cold Pinot Grigio and for five of us the bill was only forty pounds! Walking back we were caught in the heaviest downpour any of us had ever experienced, a waiter who was closing his bar dragged us in off the street just as the thunder rolled in to deafen us, we can’t describe what it was like except that the lightening turned night into day and the thunder was like being front stage at a thrash metal concert, the rain came down in one solid wall reducing visibility to a few yards and bouncing off the ground to knee-height. Just as abruptly as it started, it stopped and we waded back to our hotel.
We had a few days here enjoying fine food, great wine and the best baguettes outside of Paris (without the surly staff). Alas it was to end far too soon and we hired a car and driver to take us to the next town of Vang Vieng where we would meet the truck. Where Luang Prabang was relaxing and classy, Vang Vieng was the opposite – loud, brash and full of backpackers getting wasted. This is home to the finest tubing days in SE Asia where you grab a truck inner tube, float downriver and stop at the numerous bars for a beer or five before carrying on your way. 
Fortunately we were only there for two days (our livers wouldn’t have survived if we were there any longer). Time for a detox in Vientiane! Not much to say about the capital I’m afraid as we didn’t get far and there wasn’t a great deal to see or do anyway. We did celebrate Louise’s 22nd birthday in a bar/restaurant that sold brilliant curries, burgers and pizza’s (well you get sick of local food sometimes!) 
Oh well, time to move on and leave the truck for a fortnight as we enter Vietnam….
We had a bushcamp halfway to Luang Prabang and as we weren’t cooking that night a few of us wandered into the next village in search of the fabled Beer Lao. Easier said than done when there are no street lights, most houses in the village had no electricity and there was no moon – if we ever appreciated our Maglite’s and Petzl’s, it was that night. This was to be our first experience of the amazing hospitality the Laotians show to visitors. We found the village store that unfortunately had no beer but then one of the local guys arrived and said he had some at home that he would happily share with us; after an interesting conversation and a quick run up to his house, we had our beer and were back to the bushcamp in time for tea. 
That night was one of the most spectacular since the deserts of Baluchistan with amazing stars, an electrical storm in the distance and the sounds of the jungle all around. 
The next day we set off early after waking to the sounds of Guns ‘n Roses “Welcome to the jungle” over the truck PA. Within half an hour we were lost and then an hour later we discovered the mighty Mekong River – good and bad news: bad because we couldn’t get the truck across and would have to backtrack for several hours; good news because it meant twenty of us could hire a longboat for a leisurely cruise down to Luang Prabang. This was a great journey, virgin jungle on either bank with isolated settlements only reachable by boat, the slow running river and the sun shining. It took seven hours but it was amazing reaching town by boat at dusk after another incredible storm (something we would get used to in Laos).
Luang Prabang was at first sight just another little town with a main road and a few side streets but once you started wandering through the night markets and past beautiful French colonial buildings you soon realized that this was somewhere special. We checked in to our hotel and set off to explore. We’d heard about a French restaurant called Apsara and had to check it out – we had a really nice meal with an ice cold Pinot Grigio and for five of us the bill was only forty pounds! Walking back we were caught in the heaviest downpour any of us had ever experienced, a waiter who was closing his bar dragged us in off the street just as the thunder rolled in to deafen us, we can’t describe what it was like except that the lightening turned night into day and the thunder was like being front stage at a thrash metal concert, the rain came down in one solid wall reducing visibility to a few yards and bouncing off the ground to knee-height. Just as abruptly as it started, it stopped and we waded back to our hotel.
We had a few days here enjoying fine food, great wine and the best baguettes outside of Paris (without the surly staff). Alas it was to end far too soon and we hired a car and driver to take us to the next town of Vang Vieng where we would meet the truck. Where Luang Prabang was relaxing and classy, Vang Vieng was the opposite – loud, brash and full of backpackers getting wasted. This is home to the finest tubing days in SE Asia where you grab a truck inner tube, float downriver and stop at the numerous bars for a beer or five before carrying on your way. 
Fortunately we were only there for two days (our livers wouldn’t have survived if we were there any longer). Time for a detox in Vientiane! Not much to say about the capital I’m afraid as we didn’t get far and there wasn’t a great deal to see or do anyway. We did celebrate Louise’s 22nd birthday in a bar/restaurant that sold brilliant curries, burgers and pizza’s (well you get sick of local food sometimes!) 
Oh well, time to move on and leave the truck for a fortnight as we enter Vietnam….
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