to my disappointment, i just realised that i wrote an entire blog a few days ago, and it didn't post! so that's a little discouraging, but i will do my best to recap..

so the blue lagoon did not in fact have this aforementioned rope swing, it had been removed. however, it did have a tree where said rope had once been tied to, and we did jump off of that. it also did happen to have a waterfall, which we jumped off of as well. so there were no hard feelings..

luang prabang was such a chill place, we spent four days there and loved it. rented bikes.. checked out a few temples.. the night market.. amazing food.. the morning before we left we woke up at 4am and went to watch the monk procession. every morning they walk through the streets with these containers strapped over their shoulders and collect food offerings from the locals. it's their food staple for the day, they do it every morning. it was just so humbling for me to watch.. i was slightly irritated by the tourists who were standing in the middle of the road with their cameras flashing incessantly.. it just seemed so tainting to the experience. these monks aren't doing this to be on display, they are doing this because it's a traditional element in their culture and beliefs.. we tried to just sit and be respectful, although i still feel hypocritical because i'm sure i do so many things that are unintentionally insulting or disrespectful.. but i am trying to understand..

we've now been in vien viang for 4 days. we went tubing down this river which is spotted with bars and places to hang out.. so you float down and get pulled in by these people with bamboo sticks and you stack your tubes and go hang out! there were zip-lines and acrobat swings that you climb up on and jump into the water! there was a volleyball net in the middle of a mud hole.. so many people.. we left at noon and got back just before 6 o'clock..

went caving yesterday which was quite the ordeal for myself being slightly clausterphobic and afraid of the dark.. we hiked through 3 caves, and then the last one you get on a tube and you pull yourself over the water by this rope.. then you have to lie down and squeeze yourself under a rock into a cave, and then proceed to pull yourself through the insides of this cave on a tube in the water! it was petrifying!! but ultimately amazing. all the girls had a really good time. some faulty head lamps and crawl spaces made the adventure what it was..

today we are off to vien tiane. stacy, christine and i are meeting melissa, michelle and jess there as they left this morning to kayak about 6 hours down the river and then take a bus the rest of the way! i would have liked to have done it, however we've decided that having some sort of budget is necessary.. and so, one can only do so much. it's all an adventure..