Here is Kim having a wonderful time crusing along the river in her inner tube. It was prety hard to get a group shot, so she took one for the team...haha!

Happy Birthday to Me!! What bettre way can you think of spending your 24th birthday than with good freinds, beautiful scenery and a wonderful river...taking it all from an inertube. Thanks for making it great ladies.

Here we are in Luang Prabang. The town has an incredible amount fo french influence and as a result, the food has done anything but suffer. French style cafes, such as this one, are very common on Luang Prabang. We spoilt ourselves with a lovely french spread of bread, cheese, olives and even a bowl of olives. What a nice to pass the afternnon.

One day we all decided to take a breath of fresh air from the city and head up to the country side. Here we found a beautiful waterfall surrounded by lush tropical greenery. We climed to the top of the enourmous waterfall but found that the fun was to found at the bottom. So, after our long hike up ( and down), we decided to cool off in the refreshing water. Yipeee!

What a sight....and no this is not a professionally made postcard.

As I said earlier, the french influence in Luang Prabang is seen in many aspects of life. Baguette stands, such as this one, are on every street corner and they are just as delicious as they look. I have to say though, beign served baguettes for breakfast, lunch and dinner does get a little much even for die hard carbohydrate fans.

Seeing a monk in this town is as common as seeing a yellow taxi in NYC. None the less, the magic of thier presence doesn't fade.

We didn't have music to accompany us during dinner time along the mekong river, but with a sunset like this everynight the atmosphere sang without any music at all.

During our first night in Luang Prabang, we decided to take a stroll along the river bank and stumbled upon this man. Crouched amoung wood shaving, he took crate care with each shave he made with this lovely wooden paddle.

The streets of Luang Prabang are full of life, no matter what time of day or what street you happen to be paroosing.

Evening market in Luang Prabang

Welcome to Laos!

It was hard to decide which picture to choose as the views throughout the two days were spectacular. The mighty Mekong truly is a wonder, in both size and scenery.

In order to get into Laos from Thailand, we chose to take the budget route by spending two days chugging along the Mekong river. When we booked the tickets in Thailand, the dealer told us that it was a local boat, so assumed it would be a little rough around the edges. As you can see, the amenities on board were basic, with a few benches in the front, and a hard wood floor in the back. Welcome home!