Flicked through the TV Guide this evening and was somewhat surprised that ABC3 was re-airing Heartbreak High, one of the better Aussie TV shows of all times. Ironically (or coincidentally?) most of the better Aussie shows seem to have the same cast/crew combo working on them.. Wildside in the mid/late 90's... to today where you've probably got the Underbelly series on Nine.

So in a break from my usual Monday night workings, I flicked my TV to ABC3 and was even more surprised when they were showing Season 1... (which Ten originally had the rights too)... Looks like I may be having a 30 min slot with my TV each night seeing I haven't actually watched much of the earlier seasons...

Got home yesterday and have been sleeping/resting most of it as didn't feel very well after all the flying... Other than that catching up on internet and all...

Some highlights from my internet surfing...

United States of Pop 2009, an awesome mashup of the top 25 billboard hits for 2009

I Love Lunch! The Musical, another awesome mission by Improv Everywhere

In about 45 minutes I'll be leaving the hotel on my way back to Noi Bai (Hanoi) airport. Spent last night wandering the lake looking at the flower displays. It was really packed in the early evening but towards midnight it became a bit easier to walk around. In the end I ended up going back to my hotel at about quarter to midnight as it was rainy and I'd seen the majority of the displays. Was quite tired as well.

Oh in my travels back from Laos... you know you're in a tiny airport when:

• You have to scan your bags BEFORE you enter the airport
• They don't require you to present your bag of carry on liquids nor do they make you empty your water bottle that is almost a litre and half full
• You can pass through immigration and get exit stamped but still pass back in to the main area of the airport to buy food
• After security screening, to go to the toilet you have to exit the main area to this other area where you can walk outside but on the way back you don't need to get rescreened. And you can take your carry on bags out with you...

Anyways better get ready... Sydney tomorrow morning... yay!

Just finished a one day cooking course and I am totally full that I don't know if I can manage grilled fish on a stick. The cuorse was really good and we cooked stacks of food.

On the internet at the moment checking in for my flights home. Gotta check in now so that I can get a aisle seat and top deck seat for the A380.

Going to hover around town tomorrow before heading of to the airport mid afternoon. Hopefully Hanoi traffic isn't too bad and I'm back at my hotel before 7pm. Going to try and have a nice meal (unfortunatley by myself), then hopefully the night market is open as there's some things I wouldn't mind looking for. Maybe will check out the lake area as well and see what is happening for NYE.

That's it for now... see you from Hanoi (or breakfast tomorrow maybe?)

Today headed out to the Kuang Si Falls which are about 30KM out of Luang Prabung. The waterfall was quite impressive with many pools with clear blue water, some of which swimming was allowed. After walking up what seemed like a million stairs to the top, we came back down and went for a swim. The water at first seemed quite cold but soon became bearable and was in fact rather refreshing.

That is until I stood still a little too long and a fish nibbled at my left big toe. It hurt. Soon later something nibbled on my right foot after which I decided if my feet were on the ground they were going to be constantly moving.

Got back to Luang Prabung mid afternoon and went and booked myself on a one day cooking course tomorrow. I was deciding between two places, however by the time I came back my first choice was booked out, so luckily for me my second choice had one spot left. So I'll be spending 10am - 5pm tomorrow cooking... maybe I'll pick up some culinary skills to add to my somewhat limited food skillset?

Anyways got to catch up on some internet... was planning on using free wifi, but there was a power blackout and I'd already eaten and didn't want to eat again so at an internet place...

Yesterday made a boat trip out to the Pak Ou caves. Pak Ou is a series of caves above 25KM up the Mekong from Luang Prabung where there are thousands of Buddhas. These are Buddhas that have been damaged, or 'superseded'.

This morning though, woke up super early to watch the monks collect their alms. It's packed with tourists and makes me wonder (as I have read elsewhere before), whether this daily ritual is indeed part of normalcy or a result of tourism.

other than that going out to the Kuang Si falls later this morning where hopefully it will not be too cold to swim. Then in the afternoon I might scout around for a cooking course to go on tomorrow before trawling the night markets

So survived a rather epic and windy journey from Vang Vieng to arrive in Luang Prabung mid this afternoon. After trawling a heap of guesthouses which turned out to be full we found a nice reasonable one down a side lane. Much better than the ones that did have availability which are best described as damp, stinky and mouldy.

Luang Prabung is a UNESCO world heritage listed town and has a nice feel bout it (similar to Hoi An in some ways). There's a pretty good night market and the buildings in the old town are all quite nice looking. Am here for quite a few days so plan to check out this waterfall and this cave up the Mekong. Also get in more shopping and drinking of coconut shakes!

That's it for now... sorry for the lack of pics from Laos but internet is slower that Vietnam...

Spent today floating down the Nam Song river in a tube. Took quite a while as some parts we had to paddle and I was terrible at paddling - blame it on the short arms I say.

Other than that Vang Vieng is the most backpacker-ish place in Laos we've been so far, but it's not overly too backpacker-ish as I had expected. Going to be here another day then up to Luang Prabung for a few days and them I'm back to Hanoi and onwards to Sydney via Singapore.

So just wasting time in Pakse in an internet cafe before catching the overnight sleeping bus back to Vientiane. So let me hop back a few days for the round up.

Caught the night sleeping bus down to Pakse. Sleeping bus was a pretty cool experience. It was actually quite comfortable even though the beds were somewhat small - though being shortish it wasn't too much a problem for me. Oh this bus was totally decorated out as well, with flashing lights down the aisle complete with little rubber duckies under the see through aisle. Also our sleeping bus was one where you had to share the bed (which might have only been with width of a single, or slightly larger only?) So me an Em had 10 hours of rather close confinement. Still was comfortable and I definitely slept well... but then again I can sleep anywhere quite easily.

Arrived in Pakse early morning and had some food, then caught another bus down to Si Phan Don (4000 islands), where we then caught a boat over to Don Det. Don Det is supposed to be the 'backpacker island', but you wouldn't have known. It's still really quiet and you don't see many tourists/backpackers around either. We got some bungalows on the 'sunset' side of the island and had a look around the first day. Also watched a pretty impressive sunset, though no pics from here on in as it's internet cafes from now on.

Next day we booked out tickets back to Vientiane and got free bicycle hire, so we cycled around to Don Khon which is connected by a colonial era railroad bridge the French built.

We cycled out to Somphamit falls, then on to some beach where we chartered a boat out to Khone Phapheng Falls. Coincidentally on the way back we saw a irraawaddy dolphin of the Mekong. These are freshwater dolphins and are considered highly endangered. Apparently there are less than 30 left in the Mekong so it's somewhat extreme luck that we spotted one.

Now it's back to Vientiane tonight, where we will spend one day/night before heading to Vang Vieng. Perhaps the 'backpacker place' in Laos. A slightly oddity where backpackers have perhaps changed the town for worse. Though who can turn down tubing down a river lined with makeshift bars on Christmas Day?

In Laos at internet cafe. Isn't really free wi-fi here so will not be posting as much the next few weeks. Managed to book overnight bus to 4000 islands so leaving for there tonight.

Seen a few sights in Vientiane. It's a rather laid back town. Barely any cars (let alone any horning), and everything's just rather peaceful and quiet.

Till next time...