These are the people in your neighbourhood.

We've met some interesting characters over the last week and a bit (well we've met loads of interesting people over the whole trip, but I've already mentioned them in passing).

In Luang Prabang (and then Vang Vieng) we hung out with one of the loveliest English guys you'll ever meet, plus the Thai prostitute he'd been showing around Laos for the last month. He'd "met" her in Pattaya and then decided to get her a passport, some new clothes and show her around her neighbouring country - she'd never been out of Thailand. [say what you want about intentions: I believe it was mutually convenient but that he actually really cared for her].

The man had an absolute truckload of tales to tell - he kept us entertained for hours. But one of the most interesting parts was that his Dad was a gangster (now pub owner) who did a couple of errands for the Krays back in the day... apparently when his Dad was about 16 there was a knock at the door and Reggie Kray was standing there. The family (at a later date) ended up embalming Reggie and Ronnie's mother - a job you would not want to mess up.

We've also met a couple of people in the Army - a Sergeant from Canada who is currently stationed in Berlin, and last night we met a young 25 year old bloke named Tom who had just stood down from five years in the British Army, including service in Afghanistan and Iraq. Very, very interesting. Sort of puts our jobs in fluffy ol' media in the pale.