Bangkok to Vientiane

Our busy first week...

One of the many Wats we visited in Ayutthaya!

Delighted to be met at Bangkok airport after two long flights and whisked off for a lovely meal with Prayad featuring the largest prawns ever (though I think they were still alive when they went in the soup eek). Quick getaway to Ayutthaya the following day, the old capital of Thailand. Some beautiful old temples and a fun boat trip later, it was the night train to Chiang Mai and possibly the spiciest pot noodle ever at the station. Thankfully no after effects as the hole in the floor on the train was not too enticing a toilet! 

My Tom Yung Goong soup

Steve and I with our cookery teacher

One of our main reasons for visiting Chiang Mai, as well as visiting the place of Steve's marriage proposal ofcourse, was to do a cooking course. We had a fantastic day and now know how to make various curries, Pad Thai, stir fry chicken with cashews, delicious desserts and our favourite Tom Yung Goong soup. Whether we can make any of this once we're home remains to be seen... any guinea pigs?

Surprisingly beautiful park in extremely un-touristy Khon Kaen


Khon Kaen was really just a night stopover as a way of getting into Laos but it turned out to have a hidden gem, a so called 'Health Park' with tennis courts, beautifully groomed surroundings, a few palm trees and nice reservoir so we spent a very peaceful few hours there - a welcome break from all the city traffic and noise of the last few days.

Sunset on our first night in Vientiane, Laos

A little sorry to be leaving Thailand so quickly but we'll be back soon... Thought Laos would be very similar but has surprised us so far. People actually walk here, instead of always using mopeds! And for one of the 20 poorest countries in the world, it's an incredibly friendly, positive and relaxing place to be. We'd heard mixed reviews of Vientiane, but what an amazing capital city. Enjoyed exploring on bikes yesterday, including the very moving COPE centre. It's a charity that gives people prosthetic limbs, many of whom lost them from unexpoded Vietnam war bombs. Vientiane even has it's own Arc De Triomphe with almost as scary traffic as the French version when you're on a bike!

Just booked the next part of our trip, Luang Prabang... very excited.