der weg ist das ziel

Patuxai, the "Arc de Triomphe" of Vientiane, is rightly described in its description: "from a closer distance, it appears even less impressive, like a monster of concrete"... Well, compared to some buildings I've seen in Russia it's more like a Mouse of concrete... the champs-elysees of laos is a great overstatement, although for laos it is indeed quite a big road.
anyways, we arrived in vientiane 2 days ago, looking for a hostel, but finding the cheapest available room is 22 dollars... we moved to another guest house the next morning.
before that, we went rock climbing in vang vieng, which was lots of fun. I hadn't realised how much i missed rock climbing!
today we spent the day at the pool of a very fancy hotel. apart from the lovely pool i really don't see why anyone would want to spend lots of money for a hotel like that... the airconditionig makes it way too cold if you ask me...
we're off to pakse in southern laos tomorrow evening, where it's supposedly very baeutiful (and not as much tourists as further north).

I hate stupid backpackers just coming to Southeastasia to party. I just spent two days on a slow boat with them. We got the boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang down the Mekong. In itself, it could have been a quite pleasant journey. Very beautifel scenery. If it hadn't have been for the people telling each other of their last night's drinking extravaganzas and starting to drink beer at nine in the morning. And lighting up their joints all the time. In Laos you only get a 500 US dollar fine if you get caught, so it really does seem like some people just come over from thailand for the drugs. And they don't give a shit about culture, either. In Laos women should cover their shoulders and have skirts/trousers that go down to their knees. I haven't seen any Lao women wearing less. But western travellers seem to wear only miniskirts and tiny tanktops. It's not that unbearably hot that you need to walk around like that. It's offensive but these people obviously don't give a shit. They spread out on the boat so that there is no space for walking, you have to step over people. Also a taboo in Laos. These people have no idea how privileged they are to be able to travel the world. They take it all for granted and come to Laos to take opium and whatnot. Spoiled pricks!

Anyways, I just had to rant a little here. Other than that it's very nice here. I really do like Laos and would recommend it to anyone actually interested in travelling for nature's and culture's sake :-)

after spending about a week in Dali, China (and finally finishing my university applications - for which I have already received my first rejection...) we took a sleeper bus to Jinghong (a bus with three rows of beds; "cosy" is the euphemism I will use here), from there a bus to Mengla and from there vie Mohan to Boten, Laos. After crossing the border on foot (an interesting first for me) we got on a "bus" to Luang Nam Tha, where we are now.
We got here two days ago and I am already in love with the country; my love for Mongolia was different, as I wouldn't neccessarily want to live there (the Lao climate definitely has it's benefits...).
Anyways, I really don't have much more to say right now; just wanted to let anyone who's interested know where I am at the moment :-)
We're off to Huay Xie (by the Thai border in the north) by bus tomorrow and plan on getting a slow boat down the Mekong from there to Luang Prabang, so that should be fun!