I’m leaving Laos for Bangkok tomorrow. I think I shall miss the laziness of the tuk-tuk drivers (many of whom bring their hammocks to work, and seem to dislike being asked to drive anywhere), the outrageously chilled out working manner of the local traffic police, and the abundance of sticky rice and rather good French-style bread.

But, with a little luck, I will find someone in Bangkok to replace my hard drive and my whole netbook will be good as new.

Here is a brief summary of my three weeks of silence:

• – I skipped around unexploded bombs, giant burial pots and creepy Italians in the Plain of Jars in Phonsavan
• – Escaped the tourists in Vang Vieng using a mountain bike (with wrecked suspension and near-severed brake lines) and a motorbike (brake lines fine, suspension less so).
• – Hitchhiked 800km across Laos with a stellar plainclothes hippie.
• – Walked 40km along the Mekong river with two cool characters, wild camped on dried riverbeds, and tried not to set off any bombs with our cooking fires.
• – Went on a solo motorbiking and wild camping jaunt across the Bolaven Plateau, with the aid of some locally grown coffee.

.. so I’m not dead- just unable to edit any of my photographs until my hard drive is replaced. Hopefully it won’t cost too much.

Though I am going to Koh Tao again soon.