Pictures from Laos

Believe me, we have many many more elephant pictures that I've spared you...


Mine is definitely the better position


I always felt bad for the elephants when I was on their necks - it can't have been comfortable for them with my feet flailing into their ears. Mind you I wish I'd been wearing trousers. These elephants need to shave once in a while


The ferry across the river from our luxury lodge to the elephant camp


The baby was quite fond of bananas it turned out


Youngster fishing (I think) viewed from our canoe back towards Luang Prabang


On a serious note: the east of Laos is full of bombs, both exploded and unexploded, dropped secretly and illegally by the Americans during the Vietnam War to try to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail. To this day, hundreds of Laotians are killed or maimed every year by this unexploded ordnance, often kids who are attracted by the bright yellow balls. And there are apparently still millions of unexploded bombs yet to be unearthed right across the country. Nice.
Anyway, I'm assuming this particular one at a temple in Luang Prabang is now safe.


Every morning across Laos people get up before sunrise to give alms to monks, in order to be blessed, or have their sins forgiven, or something along those lines. We only got up once before sunrise I hasten to add.


Reading the bible (of travel - the Rough Guide) in a Buddhist temple in Vientiane


After all that religion, we needed to wind down with a cold BeerLao or three by the Mekong


But later, when you stumble upon a bouncy castle within a nearby temple...


..it's time to embrace your god of choice again