Route 13: Ambush
Trip Start
Feb 07, 2005
1
8
43
Trip End
Aug 24, 2005
Vang Vieng,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Sunday, February 27, 2005
We arrived at 2am at Vang Vieng and despite the place being named a 'backpacker haven' there was no sign of life anywhere. We were forced to wake some women at the only visible guest house - she didnt seem too happy with her new customers!! The following day we crossed the old air strip to find the main street which totalled the town. Along both sides were tour operators offering tubing and kayaking, adjacent to these were the bars all showing episodes of Friends. There were hoards of people lying in cushioned platforms drinking Beer Lao and cocktails, the whole ambience of the place was so chilled. We met up with Tony and he informed us of his last few days spent in the company of 2 Americans and a Lao family. He had eaten all kinds of skanky food like dog before gate crashing a Police street party, all the police station had gone on the beer for reasons unknown and had welcomed the 3 of them, then he had been invited to a wake the following night to which everyone drank themselves stupid! Welcome to Vang Vieng!
That night we ventured to the bars, they closed at 12am and everyone headed off to the Island Bar. This is so called as it literally lies in the middle of the river, you need to cross a very thin wooden plank to reach it, not the easiest after a couple of drinks!! There is a huge open fire surrounded by benches, and surrounded again by the stilted platforms. The place is crowded and everyone has had a skinful. Buckets of vodka and jack daniels get passed between friends and everyone is socialising with everyone - a far cry from the British pub culture!! The bar remains open so long as you want to drink, and most people are willing to put that to the test. Rob and Leila headed home early as Rob could barely walk - light weight and leila wasn't drinking for a change!! They were far from impressed when i showed up some 3 hours later!!
The next day we went tubing down the same river. With it being the dry season, the water levels were really low and so there was barely a current, whenever the wind picked up we did actually head back up river so its no wonder it took us 4 hours to complete!! All the way down guys heckled for us to buy Beer Lao, the Hair of the Dog paid dividends and the hangover soon shifted. There were rope swings and platforms to jump off all the way down but with the water being so low, we didnt want to risk it. We later heard of a Canadian guy who had rose to the challenge but, with 11 stitches to the head later, he probably regretted his decision. Although to his credit (or stupidity) was later seen at the afore mentioned Island Bar nursing not only his bandaged head but a Beer Lao also - fair to say his night ended sharply, no doubt with a stinker of a headache!!! I ended up staying there until sun rise and headed off for breakfast with some southerners i'd met.
The next day was a lazy day recovering in bed. In the meantime, Dave and Mel went off to explore the nearby caves. By the time we met up again we were all exhausted but since we'd decided to catch the 6am bus to Vientiane, Dave and I stayed up - once again at the Island Bar, nursing 1 beer all night, the idea was to stop up and sleep on the bus but we had to concede earlier than expected for a power nap of about an hour.
