Italian Job ... Laos style

Took the bus in the morning to Luang Prabang, following windey roads through mountains that looked like black eroding teeth ... with spinach. Clouds drifted over them and occasionally over us making the road ahead foggy. The roads got more and more bendy, becoming increasingly like the end scenes of the "Italian Job" ... but with palm trees ... and bamboo ... and big fluffy grass things. Especially as we rounded one corner to find a petrol tanker sitting on it's side by the side of the road. We passed little villages on the way and it dawned on me how much NOT like India it was. There were not advertisements on every wall, house, car, dog and child advertising Pepsi, whiskey and batteries.

Finally rolled into Luang Prabang ... though somewhat later than anticipated as the bus broke down twice on the way. It was dark ... and there were no rooms in the inn ... Finally we managed to find a place with a single room which could fit the four of us in, though I am not sure that the garlic salad with the side of chicken that I had went down all too well.