It was all going so well...

Until we discovered that a three-day music festival was setting up in our back garden (well, next door) with bands and DJs from 2pm until 11.30pm each night! So much for our peaceful Lao retreat.

This was our view and the sound was "bangin' "! Drum'n'bass through our bedroom window.

Neverthless, we made the best of it, visited briefly (some of the music was quite good; some dreadfully boring and samey), and otherwise found other places to be for three days.

The festival coincided with a visit from cousin Barney and his son Hugo, so we took the opportunity to show them round a few local bars and restaurants.

I think this band were called "The Power". I liked them

Looking towards the Peacefulness Chedi from the Old Bridge

Yes, more sunsets!

Mone and Doi (the Weaving Sisters) messing about in the garden venue when we went to check it out

The Greenhouse from the terrace

Looking over the garden fence as the festival stage was being built

The Ock Pop Tok garden. Living handicrafts centre outside the town centre

I wanted to take a series of pictures of our village - Phan Luang - and the people we meet there.

This is our egg lady. We buy 4 eggs for 8000 kip for our breakfasts.

This is the butcher's shop on the corner of our road. It is quite the most disgusting place you ever could see. They wipe down the tables with grimy rags at night. How anyone survives their products I really don't know!

But occasionally the display looks quite good

We escaped over the river for another walk on the other side of the Mekong

The land there is looking pretty dry by now. We've had no rain for 3 months

Here we are back in our "hood". This is our local supermarket where we buy our butter, milk, tea and general supplies. Dairy products are expensive and only stocked for the tourists. Milk is £2.25 a litre