Laos

Just a quick update... and try and upload a few pics.

I am in Laos - in Vang Vieng. It is backpacker heaven and my idea of hell in many ways but the scenery surrounding this din of restaurants and falangs and tours is frankly stunning.

I took myself on a 6km bike ride today out of the main town and through villages at the foot of the mountains. It was scorching as I passed children playing in the river and old women dozing under bamboo shelters. So close to western food, music and programmes are these people living very simple lives.

And the schools... just long, low huts with very few resources.

But rather tanned (burnt nose) I came upon my goal, a blue lagoon with swing ropes and benches and little huts to lie in and I cooled off. (pictured above).

Later I climbed up a virtually sheer cliff to a cave and decided to go with a guide around it. I paid 10,000 kip ($1 US) and we set off with the aid of his torch. Inside was a reclining Buddha shrine but we bypassed this and all the guide-less backpackers and slipped and slided up and down boulders. I honestly though I was going to slip down one of the sides into a gaping hole here or a pool of water there.

Eventually, with much flustered effort from me, we came upon some stunning caverns with stalagmites and stalagtites bulging everywhere. Was a bit nervous as it was pitch black apart from the guide's torch and I could hear bats everywhere.

Also because the only English he knew was "Beautiful" which he would use to indicate the cabe and then me.

On the way back, we passed a party of torch-less French people so I agreed to let them have my guide when I got near the opening and daylight.

I scrambled out of the cave to find a storm raging.

I had a choice - stay and wait for the storm to stop or go now. I didn't have a clue what the time was and as it was quite dark I decided to go for it.

Hmmm. Back slipping down the rockface path was not fun, especially when out of the cover of the trees. I was drenched head to toe.

About half an hour after I reached the lagoon the rain stopped. I jumped back on my bike and peddled back to Vang Vieng.

Everything looked newly washed and fresh. Mists clung to the mountains and the rice fields looked lush in the dampness.

I spotted a group of three Laos boys and took a photo. A cheeky one who turned away when I took it motioned to the seat on the back of my bike. I beckoned him on and we whizzed down the stony dirt track both laughing at the speed and careless joy.

He jumped off five minutes later and ran into his wooden home without a backward glance.