Baguettes, Bumpy Buses and Biking (Yes, Again!)...

So, today is Christmas Eve...how did that come around so quickly??! It seems like only yesterday that we were arriving in Mumbai- nervous, confused, intimidated and bloody excited- ready to start our rollercoaster ride through Asia...now four months, one camel ride, one mountain trek, and many, MANY tuk-tuk rides later- here we are!
   Listen to my festive sentimentality- I haven't even had a BeerLao yet! I'll shush for a second and tell you about our visit to the Laos capital of Vientiane. Now, it's a clean, approachable city, don't get me wrong, but our lasting memory of Vientiane will be getting our Thai Tourist Visa (with every other backpacker, apparently), and the FOOD. Somehow, we've managed to pick up three food obsessions whilst in the capital; the first, thanks to Vientiane's French influence, is that crusty bread of dreams, the baguette. We now can't get enough; Patrick seems to have at least two baguettes a day. The second and third are, more fittingly, Lao dishes- 'laap', a very spicy minced meat salad, and the even spicier raw shredded papaya salad.
   I don't want to bore you with yet another sleeper bus story- let's face it, they're not that exciting. But I have to quickly mention our cosy encounter at the bumpy back-end of the bus (where we were placed AGAIN- why us? Why?) It was actually quite a decent bus, except for our beds...the lack of headroom was a little annoying, but sharing the bed with two other ladies was something else. The tasty free wafer we were given did help to soften the blow (I'm easily pleased). Lucky neither of them were snorers either!
   As I write, we're in Don Det, an island in the far south of Laos. Within minutes of alighting, as we were shown to our riverside bungalow with sunset views, complete with hammock, we knew this was going to be our kinda place. It's a great place to relax, but yesterday we decided to embark on another biking venture- always a semi-ordeal for me. As usual, for the first half an hour, I was riding like a five-year-old (though five year olds barely able to reach mountain bike handles were overtaking me). But, as we rode past sleepy water buffaloes (and around a particularly stubborn one) through the wheat field, I soon got into my stride, and we rode all the way to the adjoining island, Don Khon. We'd cleverly chosen to ride in the midday heat, on bikes with no brakes, so at points the biking was hot, edgy work- teeth-chattering at times with the rocks on the road! It was still a lot of fun though, and we rode through a fair few villages (complete with slightly intimidating children playing basketball and badminton).
   Anyway, I think you've heard enough from me- I'm off to drink a BeerLao or five in the hammock to keep cool, whilst wearing a Santa hat to look cool (ahem). I'll force Patrick to wear one as well; we WILL be festive, dammit! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! Love to you all!

P.S Thank you so much for keeping up with my blog so far; I really appreciate your support! I really hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!