Am now in Luang Prabang, Laos. Arrived yesterday after a 7 hour bus journey through the mountains of Laos. The scenery was incredible. Little towns dotted the snake-like roads, almost as if in the middle of nowhere. Vang Vieng was definitely an interesting experience. We spent the day checking out the various caves in the area. It was a little treacherous in flip-flops trying to navigate the muddy rocks and cliffs to get into the caves but definitely well worth it and . . . all part of the experience. The best part of the day was tubing down the Nam Song river. I felt like I was in a scene from the beach. There are bars all along the river and you stop to drink along the way. They stick out an oar and everyone in the group makes a chain as they reel you in. There's techno and dance playing, everybody is ripped and jumping into a river from 25m above the water. After getting bored at one bar, you hop back into your tube and move on to a new bar. Quite an experience. OFf for elephant riding tomorrow.