Laos

So this is the end of my Laos experience and it has been truly wonderful.

From the distinct tourist trail between Laung Prabang and Vientiane to the real Laos of the far north and the Bolaven plateau Laos has taught me many things and allowed me to just be.

In such a self sufficient community environment with no refrigerated transport you notice the changes in your body - no hormones no preservatives and you understand your body so much more! It is a gift to be able to hear your body again and be able to respond to it - you understand how it works and what it needs. It inspires me to change the way I eat when I get home and to use food as a healing mechanism as well as a grastric experience. In addition to this the communities I visited highlight the circle of life there are no fences or ropes the food runs free and breeds like rabbits. Everything (including the people) are either pregnant or suckling the young. It is hard to see in such a rural country coupled with the landscape how the current models of development and reducing the dependence on aid is going to play out - I will be keeping an eye out.

The country does not have such a painful past as Cambodia and so the raw beauty of its people is less spoilt by the atrocities of the past. You cannot help but smile back - need some anti wrinkle cream now :) the mind, body, heart and soul have been broken open and experience everything that comes my way.

Laos was however more expensive than I anticipated, gone are the days when accommodation was 1 or 2 US$ on average the accommodation is more expensive than Viet Nam and of less a quality. One exciting thing about being in Thailand is regular hot water :) It is the simple things in life that make me happy xoxox

Although a lot of the tourist activities in Laos are advertised as being eco friendly and culturally appropriate and the countryside is so beautiful there is no mechanism to deal with the piles of plastic that everything comes in, so I am sorry to say that burning plastic is commonplace.

Laos is where i had my first marriage proposal - a cute little 16 year old boy who was showing me round the caves at Nong Khiew and he told me I was beautiful and that he loved me. once he found out that I was single he tried all his best sales pitches to get me to marry him and take him to Europe. He didnt seem to understand that me marring a 16 year old Lao boy would land me in jail... he then said that he could take care of me when I am old and that young men are more useful and less lazy than older men - just classic!!!!!

It is also a place that saw me drive a motorbike, fall down a waterfall and buy XXL clothes and have the ladies in the shop tell me that I was too big for any of the jeans that I wanted...

I received two of the greatest compliments while in Laos the first was from a guy who I kayaked with in Vang Vieng when he said that he wished he was as happy as I was - when I asked him how he knew I was happy he said simply that I don't stop smiling, I smile with my eyes and he can feel my energy. The second came from someone I was sharing a room with (different beds...) when they said that they hadn't slept so well the whole trip and it was wonderful having someone with such calm around - obviously never seen me when I am waiting for something or having to be somewhere on time... non the less it was a wonderful thing to say.

Ok this blog is getting really long now and I have no idea how many people are still reading it - think it has become more for me than anyone else - especially now that I cant upload the photos :)

It is amazing when you meet just one person who makes to believe and have hope in the future. Our Lao guide for the trek in Laung Nha Tra was just this person, not only was he just gorgeous and super lovely he had such passion and belief for his country and himself and the opportunites that he has. He has applied to the government for a scholarship to go to Korea to learn IT - he was the only Lao person who had a commond of English that I could engage in a conversation about himself, his country and his hopes and dreams.