What Wat is what?

Ok, so we made it back from Laos on the overnight train frm the border... MUCH better than the cramped private coaches, which seem to have bugger all air conditioning, crap DVD movies blasted out by speakers that are only capable of producing bass, and stop ramdomly for breakdowns, shoddy toilet stops or tourist food traps from the drivers brothers-nephews-sisters joint!

So the train is the way, sleeping in a bunk with the legs stretched out - well they would be for anyone but lanky old me anyway! Ear plugs are 'THE BEST' thing a traveller can buy before heading away, and have turned many a potential nights disasterous sleep (roosters all night, early morning monk parades etc.) into zzzzz land. It's only a little bit more than the coaches too.... top tip from the Dazzler.

So Laos was good! Do feel like the total tourist though, doing the 2 day slow boat trip on a cramped old wreck, but we stopped off at Lam Phrabang for a few days, hooked up with a couple of English and a Canadian who we had a good laugh with for the week. The next place was Vang Vieng, which I mentioned before... then off to the capital, Ventiane. The highlight of that was Kat and I 'hangin' with the young monks, who invited us over while we were peering into their temple ('wat'..... the thai word for temple). One was practicing his English on me, querying the old xmas lark and what Santa Claus is all about, which is kinda hard to explain... especially the link between the religious aspect of the festival and the commerical spectacle as it exists today. Not sure whether the poor guy understood or not, especially since his day started at 4 a.m. with a prayer (every day) and ended at 8p.m..... so the 'not everyone' who is Christian goes to church at xmas (never mind every Sunday!) was an interesting idea for him!

Meanwhile, Kat was engaged in a frantic battle of the brains of 5 other monk boys, who were taking her on at a game of draughts. They play the French variant (I think!) - 10x10 squares and 4 rows of pieces. She lost the first game, but obviously won the second (with the aid of the monks)! The monks loved it, taking the pi$$ out of the monk that lost, but all laughing... would've made for a great photo.... but alas, I only have it ready for the obligatory 'wat' photo's!

So what's a wat then? Well today in the old capital of Thailand we've seen about 10 of the things..... ruins this time, but still impressive nontheless. We saw the glorious new shiny ones in Bankok before we headed North, but these almost have more 'character and appeal'.... even if once you've seen one giant budda sitting, lying, reclining etc... you've pretty much seen them all!

So it's back to Bankok at the weekend to drop off the shopping at Amars place, then down South for the last couple of weeks of relaxing on the beach. Bring on the sunshine......