Vientiane, Laos

VIENTIANE
There were two things I wanted to see in Vientiane - the Patuxai and the Great Sacred Stupa. From a distance the Patuxai looks like the Arc de Triomphe but up-close the temple-like ornamentation gives it a distinctly Lao flavour. Unlike the Parisian arch the Patuxai has four, rather than two, archways. It was built in the 1960s with US-purchased cement intended for the construction of a new airport - which has led some people to call it the 'vertical runway'. The fee for climbing to the top of the structure is only 1000 Kip (around 9c) and the views are well worth it. Most of the interior is barren except for the gift shop on the top two floors selling Beer Lao t-shirts and key chains. On the very top I found an old man selling old notes and coins so I stopped and completed my collection of Lao money.

The Patuxai, Vientiane

The view from the top of the Patuxai

Sadly, on the Thanon leading to the arch I watched as a motorbike turned in front of an approaching truck and was dragged under the front tyres for 50 meters. I kept my distance for a little while but as I slowly approached the wreckage the motorcycle driver and her female passenger were quickly taken away in the back of a rickshaw. Two unmatched sandals remained wedged under the motorbike but surprisingly there was little blood.

About 2km further north-east is the Great Sacred Stupa, a symbol of the Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty, and the most important national monument. The current stupa was constructed in the 16th century on the site of a former Khymer monastery dating from the 11th century. It looks a little like a missile cluster from a distance but even under grey skies the golden spire shone brightly. The stupa is designed to be mounted by visitors who can walk around each level and up to the next. Each level contains Buddhist inscriptions which are to be contemplated as one takes the journey around and up the monument. The skies above me turned progressively darker so after half an hour I turned my back on the Great Sacred Stupa and began walking back across the courtyard to the main street.

The Great Sacred Stupa

TURNING AND WALKING AWAY
Slowly, images of the last 14 months flashed in my head. From Russia to China to Guatemala, Nepal and Sri Lanka I began reflecting on just where I had been and what I had achieved. After all this time, the Great Sacred Stupa in Laos would be the last thing I would see on this trip. My eyes welled up as I walked away, partly because I was saddened that the trip was coming to an end and partly because I had seen some of the most amazing sights that this planet has to offer - and it moved me. The world truly is an amazing place and it will never cease to amaze me.

HOMEWARD BOUND
My last night in Asia was a restless one. I was up late packing and by the time I lay down to sleep it was after midnight. I was up at 4am to shower before catching the 5am shuttle to the airport with a couple of other bleary eyed travellers. My first flight to Doha, Qatar was virtually empty. Most of us stretched out in the middle seats and slept but for most of the time I was tracking our progress over the Bay of Bengal, across India to the peninsular of Qatar. Landing in the brown dusty expanse of the desert kingdom could not have been more different from the lush green of monsoon Asia I had just left. I was barely at the airport an hour before boarding my next flight to Heathrow. The flight was much fuller but somehow I managed to secure a window and an aisle seat to myself.

My good friends Scooter (Scott) and his wife Jennifer had promised to collect me from Heathrow's Terminal 3 so I was particularly anxious to get off the plane. By the time I walked through the arrivals door I had been on the go for about 17 hours but I felt fresh and excited. I spotted Scooter and Jen and collapsed into their arms - relieved that I had done it. Around the world in 14 months without being robbed, mugged or losing anything that I couldn't replace. This was the end, but there was one more surprise.

On the walk to the car I saw a girl who at first I thought I met in Thailand a few weeks ago, but when I asked her she said that she had been teaching English in Sri Lanka for the past few months. As it turned out she was at the cricket test match in Kandy when I was there with Phil at the start of May. One last case of 'small world syndrome'.

Luang Prabang, Laos

LUANG PRABANG
I spent the rest of my time in Laos with some of the people from the minivan - there were some characters among them; the McKinstry sisters, Gail and Lyn, from Belfast, Lee and Laura from Scotland and Nicola from Chichester in England. Together we took a trip out to the Tat Kuang Si waterfall, about 30km south of the town, in the back of a pick-up truck. The promised rope swing beside the falls was missing but the setting was very nice even if the water was much colder than expected. I got goose bumps for the first time this year.

Over the next few days we created our own 'breakfast club', meeting at 9am at the same restaurant to join up for some sightseeing together. We ventured up river to the beautiful Pak Ou caves, crammed with Buddha images of all shapes and sizes, and around town to the Royal Palace and the Xieng Thong temple, probably the best example of Lao style temple architecture.

Pak Ou caves near Luang Prabang

View from inside the caves

There are some fabulous French style buildings along the side streets, scores of historic temples at every turn and a wonderful relaxed atmosphere around town. The street next to the Mekong River was being repaved while I was there so there were a few disruptions and some unsightly piles of rubble around the place but once finished the waterfront will be the place to be. Although there were many differences I honestly felt like I could be in New Orleans.

Temple in Luang Prabang

One cool cat

On the day that the All Blacks beat Wales in the rugby I celebrated 400 DAYS ON THE ROAD with a couple of coffee milkshakes and a few helpings of my signature dish - lemon sugar pancakes.
After four days in Luang Prabang, Lee and Laura left for northern Laos and Nicola flew to Thailand so I joined the McKinstry sisters on the bus back to Vang Vieng. One more night and a few movies later I was heading back to Vientiane - a city I had yet to explore properly.

Tuk-tuk with the McKinstry sisters

Bangkok to Vang Vieng, Laos

LAOS
It was drizzling when the bus pulled into Vientiane. The overnight bus journey from Bangkok was superb. We had a double-decker bus with only six people on board so there was plenty of room to spread out. After a quick SARS check at the border we were in Laos - the last country for me in South East Asia left undiscovered.

Like India and Bangladesh before, Laos left some very strong first impressions. I teamed up with a young Israeli bloke called Ido and together we walked to the bus depot, via the bank where we both become millionaires. At 10,540 Kip to the dollar it wasn't difficult. At the bus station a tuk-tuk driver convinced us to take a pick-up truck to Vang Vieng instead of the bus because it would only take two and a half hours instead of five. It was only a few cents more so we got him to drive us to the pick-up station and before long we left with only a handful of people on board, plus the compulsory bag of chickens on the roof. Just past the half way point at a town called Phone Hong (sounds like phone home) the pick-up broke down so we had to wait for the next one. The next one was full but we were both squeezed on board. In Laos, no pick-up truck is ever full. I tried to keep from standing on someone’s turkey as I nestled in beside a man in army fatigues for the remainder of the journey. The man’s face was badly burnt, he only had one eye remaining, his left arm was withered and the hand was missing. Every so often he would turn his smooth expressionless face in my direction and stare at me from behind his lidless eye. Occasionally he would belch uncontrollably and then offer an apologetic smile from his permanently open mouth.

Vang Vieng didn't come quick enough - but when it did it was worth the wait. A sleepy town beside a river, surrounded by massive limestone pinnacles, plenty of cheap guesthouses and restaurants showing movies all day long. A perfect place to wind down after a year of travelling.

INNER TUBES
I stayed at a brand new nameless guesthouse in Vang Vieng for 30,000 Kip per night. It sounds like a lot but a three night stay cost just a little over US$8 for a large single room with hot water and a balcony overlooking the main street.

My guesthouse in Vang Vieng

Typical sleepy street in Vang Vieng

Apart from eating and watching movies at restaurants the main attraction of Vang Vieng is the river and the nearby caves. I spent a full day on the Nam Song river in an inner tube, slowly drifting with the current and stopping occasionally to grab a bottle of Beer Lao or explore one of the many caves beside the river. The average trip is supposed to take 2 hours but after hooking up with a New Zealand couple and a Canadian guy the Beer became a priority and the trip extended beyond 7 hours. A few industrious locals had set up make-shift Beer Lao stops along the riverside, usually consisting of a small bamboo platform and a bucket full of ice and Beer Lao.

The inner tube group by the end of our trip

As it does when staying in sleepy towns the time passed too quickly and before I knew it, it was time to move on. For the five-hour trip up to Luang Prabang I bought a seat on the air-conditioned minivan to avoid catching the local bus - which would have taken close to 8 hours.