MagnusAndCheryl in Lao

Doug and the Giant Pumpkin

Together again with Doug & Sarah we visited the bizarre sculptures at Xieng Khuan Buddha Park.

Yogi Sulilat's psychedelic brain-child - and he clearly had taken something funny in his tea - was best viewed from here, on top of a gigantic concrete pumpkin!

Welcome to Hell!

The entrance to the giant pumpkin, charmingly fashioned as the ravenous mouth of Hell.

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The world's most feeble mode of transport

In front of Pha That Luang - national symbol of Lao - our useless tuk-tuk tilts alarmingly, barely able to support the weight of 3 passengers without flipping over backwards.

Another birthday?!

Birthday girl Sarah blows the candles on her favourite traditional Lao dessert - Black Forest Gateaux!

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Who wants to be a millionaire?

Magnus is in the money, flashing a brick of notes to the value of a whopping 1,000,000 Lao kip.

The smile was wiped off his face 10 minutes later when he found the stack of notes wouldn't even buy him a coke.

'Like West Linton but not as good'

Warned that Luang Phabang failed abysmally to live up to its 'World Heritage' status we were pleasantly surprised by its laid back atmosphere, old temples and stunningly remote natural setting.

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The Plain of Jars

Clusters of giant prehistoric stone jars dot a plain in the inaccessible north-east of Lao.

Their purpose is unknown (the unexploded bomb parts littering the countryside makes investigation hazardous) but according to guest archaeologist Douglas Spiers any moron knows they had some funereal function.

(MNC PROMOTION: Douglas Spiers is currently occupied with his work on hit TV series The Time Machine. However, he is available on short notice for after dinner speaking, weddings and bar mitzvahs.)

The most bombed country in the world

Trees grow in an American bomb crater next to the prehistoric stone jars.

At the time of the Vietnam War, America ran a secret saturation bombing campaign against Lao communists that flattened many civilian centres. A tonne of explosives was dropped for each Lao person.

When that did not prevent troops from navigating supply lines, they resorted to spraying detergent in an effort to make the ground too slippery to transport munitions.

It's a wonder they never thought to employ the trusty banana skin...

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Heart-warming Lao hospitality

After touring the Jars, our guide in Phonsavan, Vong (wearing the dodgy pink jacket), took us to his house to meet his family and drink local rice wine spirit (lao lao).

We were then taken to his friend's house for a feast of sticky rice, spicy pickles and beef. It was wonderful with the exception of one grey sauce, which actually tasted fine until Vong identified it as being made from 'cow dung' - eeugh!

After that we were invited to a pre-wedding party (bride and groom standing to the right of Magnus) where we were treated as honoured guests and plied with yet more rocket fuel till we keeled over.

The caves of Vang Vieng

We spent a day spelunking the many caves in the limestone mountains of Vang Vieng.

This underwater cave could only be reached by swimming into the darkness - extra spooky with no waterproof torch to light the gloom!

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Two great tubes

After a day of caving, we inner-tubed back to Vang Vieng along the incredibly slow Na Som river.

White water rafters

Guided by Australian adventurer Mick and fronted by two grizzled and uncommunicative men of steel from Wyoming we headed off in search of treacherous grade 4 rapids.

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A trip on the wild side

Anti-communist H'mong forces still control part of the Saisombun 'Special Zone' of central Lao. We needed a special permit just to get past the army base set up to drive the rebels back into the hills.

Fortunately, we had this gorgeous river all to ourselves and no one shot at us or tried to take us hostage.

Charmed, I'm sure

Waking up on the banks of the Nam Ngum river we found this little beauty slithering through our camp.

Reticulated pythons can grow to more than 10 metres long but as you can see, treat them with a little love and they're pussycats.

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Primary Objective: Stay in the boat

Cheryl grabbed the team record, managing to 'take a swim' twice during our descent.

'I just wanted to get the best value for my money!', she claimed afterwards in feeble mitigation.

Basi ceremony

After trekking deep into the Khammuan region of southern Lao we stayed with a local family who gave us a special honour.

Undertaken before friends embark on a journey - pieces of string are tied to the wrist, linking friendly spirits to the person wherever they go on their travels.

Afterwards we sat strumming the guitar - trading songs from Lao, Thailand and the west. Most of the village ended up packed into our stilt house, staring wide-eyed at us (and laughing hysterically at Magnus' emotional rendition of House of the Rising Sun).

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The Rocky Horror Peak-Tour Show

After hiking over this precipitous peak we were exhausted but glad to be alive.

Waking up the next morning aching from head to toe, we wished we were dead.

Going Underground

At our homestay we traded tunes with a local family (yes, Magnus dragged the guitar all the way over the mountain) and played kataw - foot volleyball - with the villagers.

Next morning we paddled back under the mountain, through a gigantic cave that runs for more than 7km.

After a long time in the darkness we really appreciated this light at the end of the tunnel.

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