Numero six

I don't know - what to say? We're in Kep, Cambodia again. The climate is delightful with a soft breeze and warm air on the skin. The freedom to relax without constricting layers of clothing is a joy. And I feel healthier without the need for a diet padded out with biscuits and cakes!
We're here for another 4 weeks when we plan to set out for Siem Reap and then southern Laos for a bit of an adventure but in the meantime we enjoy the comfort of life in the lush tropical garden at Bacoma with our friends Michael, Shrena and Somnang. Plus the occasional film in the thatched cinema or weekend Premier football matches screened via Vietnam!

Here's our annual shot of Trevann waiting for the bus to Heathrow at St Johns

The crab fisher woman at sunset

The Crab Market in Kep, not much changed since Jan

Somnang got a great remote-controlled helicopter for his ninth birthday. Sadly, it only lasted a couple of days...

My birthday cake

No work on this one in the last 3 years

Jasmine Valley Eco-resort in the Kep National Park seems to be abandoned

Christmas lights?!

Water lily in the Bacoma pond

Michael and a giant cricket

The new Laos Botanical Garden

Yesterday we set out over the Mekhong for our long awaited visit to the new Botanical Garden which has recently opened after an 8-year incubation phase. It's a great initiative where they're planting trees, researching ethno-botany, creating plant collections, teaching permaculture and other good things. It's also a stunningly beautiful, peaceful site. www.pha-tad-ke.com

The far bank of the Mekhong is wooded and largely undeveloped, with small villages and dirt tracks.

The 15-minute boat trip to the garden is in a lovely scaled-down slow-boat. I love the boat Captain's dining chair.

The plants in the botanical garden are labelled neatly with Latin, English and Lao names plus medicinal, culinary or other uses.

Taking a rest on the hot and sweaty 45-minute trek through the jungle up to the limestone cave where the Lao Princes prayed to the spirits.

Many of the existing trees have been retained and interplanted with new specimens in the arboretum.

One of the areas is planted up with trees and shrubs used for traditional dyes.

Another area has fibre sources. This is cotton.

It's been beautifully laid out with paths and signage. A huge amount of work has gone into this project.

I had a private tour round the compost area! My special interest!

The boat trip to get to the garden is wonderful.

That golden hilltop stupa is Mount Phousi in the centre of Luang Prabang.

Meanwhile back in Luang Prabang ... some wats.

And here's our friend and housekeeper Mrs Noi cutting bamboo leaves in the garden. She's been patiently teaching us a bit of Lao!

Sabaidee (hello) Luang Prabang

Every time we return to Luang Prabang (this is our fifth visit) I fear that it will have changed, lost its charm, been spoilt or overrun by avaricious businesses created to extract dollars from hapless tourists. Every time I am relieved to find that the town has such resilience. It's not completely unchanged from how it was 5 years ago but its essence remains.
I think it's something to do with the way the city manages to combine traditional Lao family life with hosting international visitors. Households still live in their simple roadside houses, elders and children gathering in the late afternoon to cook the evening meal over an open fire while the gentle temple drumbeats and bells call the monks to prayer.
What a fabulous town. I love it!

The left-hand side is our garden. Someone has built a house next door but it's currently unoccupied.

Our pad - the Greenhouse Studio.

Rainy season flooding caused by a new dam upstream led to some serious damage along the Nam Khan in August.

The Greenhouse from the garden.

Our private terrace

We enjoy a cold beer overlooking the Mekong at sunset as the slowboats come in to land.

"Our" road.

The local temple.

The ever-present Thorani.

The centre of Luang Prabang as viewed from our garden. So green!

Lakon (goodbye) Vang Vieng

Just a few more Vang Vieng pix before we head up over the mountains to Luang Prabang. Two weeks in VV was just about enough for us. We had a good time but it's just too noisy now for us peaceniks.

Fab view from the bungalow we moved to for our second week.

These shipping containers are being converted into some kind of accommodation. We wondered whether they would be thatched and turned into "bungalows" for tourists!

It amazes me that the egg man keeps his stock safe on the road.

More juxtapositions

It is very pretty though.

Our lovely friend Nouth with her uncle. What a star!

The road to Luang Prabang winds through some pretty spectacular scenery but it's difficult to capture through the mini-van windows.

Vang Vieng - the temperature rises

We're always sad to say goodbye to Michael, Shrena and Dara at Bacoma. But I'm sure we will return. And here we are now back in lovely Lao PDR, warmly welcomed by the wonderful Nouth at Lao Valhalla bungalows.
I fear that Vang Vieng may be gradually reverting to it's "party-town" status but there are still fabulous views, peaceful walks across the rice fields and pretty lights on the river to enjoy.

Thank you to Bacoma cake!

One of our brave protectors - the mighty Ben!

I get to be quite fond of the dogs here. They're very friendly.

Sadly my pool skills never improve. I still got beaten 3-0 in the grand league.

Lots of birds in the garden.

The lovely Nani and her grannie from the Seagull bar.

On to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. An odd mix of high-rise buildings and tumbledown French colonial architecture. There was a brand new Bentley parked in our road!

Got to Vang Vieng in one piece. It's a 3-hour bus ride from Vientiane but takes at least 5 hours after all the stops and starts.

The cows come home along our road every evening.

I also photographed this amazing spider last year. I was happy to find that it's still here outside our bungalow.

Trevann studying the garden.

Vang Vieng's main claim to fame - the Nam Song river.

It is very beautiful.

Limestone karst mountains rise vertically from the rice paddies.

At night the riverside bars light up and the music starts.

This is Nouth's back garden. At the end of the wood is a cliff pockmarked with caves from which thousands of bats issue forth at dusk. 

Another view of the valley.

It's lovely to walk across the rice fields in the sunshine.

Little shelters here and there for the farmers.

Nouth's friend Deena comes round to show us all traditional Lao dancing. She then does a giggly "magic" show, liberally lubricated with plenty of lao lao rice whisky, complete with scorpion or snake or centipede flavouring. Lots of fun.