Thanks for all your comments guys. (except maybe for Ewan - this keyboard is better than yesterday, although the backspace key doesn't work, so I might have a Third World feel infused through out this as well).

It has been a wonderful 24 hours - we lashed out and had a fantastic feast for an evening meal consisting of Laotian dishes in a set menu. Dishes included Clear noodle soup, light and aromatic with ginger, galangal lemongrass and chilli. Spicy green papaya salad, beef la'ap, a whole steamed fish (each) and sticky rice with platters of fresh fruit and the excellent Cafe Lao to follow. One set meal was probably enough for two, but somehow we managed! Bob has a reputation to maintain, afterall.

That afternoon I disappeared to the Red Cross for a Herbal Sauna, 10,000 kip (about $1.20). I didn't quite know what to expect and was led through the teak interior by an attendant who spoke no English. I changed into a sarong (first time I'd tried to tie one of these things, It kept slipping down) and was given a small towel. Then to a bathroom where I was to shower with a bucket (traditional Thai and Lao style) with unexpectedly aromatic water.

I then entered the door marked Woman (as opposed to Man) and was in thick, swirls of white steam everywhere punctuated by musical giggling along the walls. With assistance from some of the lithe bodies in there I found a spot in this tiny space (about 180cm x 120cm) along the wall, and exchanged smiles with others in the din of steam. A tiny bare bulb illuminated the space from outside through a small, opaque window.

After 10 minutes it was outside to drink herbal tea and chat (although my Lao consists of OK, Coca Cola, Sab a Dee and Khob Chai Lai Lai which doesn't go too far!), and then do it all over again. The brochure indicated that Mr Housphouy collects over 24 local herbs personally in which he uses for the sauna and tea. Unlike the European Sauna, do not shower between or after to allow the herbs to sink in and do their good work!

I don't know if it was the colonel's special herbs and spices or just the great wads of steam, I would suspect the later, but after my third time I could smell a little, and could breathe through my nose as well as just my mouth. Hallelujah!!

Alas, I had agreed to meet Bob back at the hotel at 6:15, so left after my 4th turn (at one time there were I think 15 bodies in the steam room), changed and returned to the hotel. Fantastic! Must go again today!

Bob had bought me a special treat as a surprise. He also had locked me out accidentally as I dripped outside for 20 minutes and he was in the shower, but would I complain? The bag of treats, looks brown (chocolate?) and crisp (fried banana maybe). As I reached in . . . . Legs, wings, antennae . . . Fried and salted cicadas (only 2,000 kip - a bargain!). We had seen villagers catch them deftly when trekking, by coating a pole with a sticky substance (probably a tree sap), and touching them quickly. They were then strung on to stings, still croaking for later cooking. MMmmmm.