Laos

So this place has proven to have extream opposites. We started in Vientaine whihc is a basic town, but a capital city, with basic everything and quite a nice change after the chaos of other Asian capital cities. We moved on to Vang Vieng which was a backpacker hell hole selling buckets of rice wine/ whiskey for pennies and joints as long as a you hid round the corner to smoke them- not obvious honest. After a day of tubing which was good fun we headed to Luang Prabang which was promised to be a ancient city and previous capital city, 'one of the most photogenic cities in asia' was one quote. It's quite pretty, full of early 20th century french buildings and a 14 th c Wat which was quite spectacular. What was off putting was the package holiday feel to the place. It was full of aging Europeans, 60's+ lots in wheel chairs, which isn't a good bet in Laos. So with nothing against oldies it has turned the place into a tourist trap whith sky high prices and proper resturants and bars. Now don't get me wrong this country needs money and who better to get it from than 'rich' tourists? However the money is going to the rich, who are getting richer and the poorer are getting the blunt end of the stich. There are real polar differences from people living in mansions (the few) to village after village full of shacks.
Suffice to say we left sharpish and we are now in Phonsavan and we are going to the 'plain of Jars' will tell you about that later. However, Phonsavan is much more 'authentic' and not nearly as touristy thank god.
Toodle pip. Off on trip now.