Vang Vieng
Trip Start
May 15, 2007
1
9
19
Trip End
Jun 15, 2007
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Vang Vieng,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Monday, May 28, 2007
Another day, another busride... We get up extra early to have breakfast at the Scandinavian Bakery again (we liked it so much the day before!), and then wait for the bus. We're told it leaves at 9.30 am, and the bus does arrive at that time but doesn't actually leave until 10.30 am. Pretty typical. :D It's only 150 km, but it takes four hours. We drive through a very mountainous area with lots of sharp turns and steep roads. It's definitely a very scenic ride!
We arrive in Vang Vieng at 2.30 pm and into a lovely guesthouse, where the electricity outlets actually work and don't look like they could explode any second. Just in time too, as I really needed to recharge my mp3-player. :D
We walk around the town for a while, which doesn't take all that long as it's a two street town. There are a lot of backpacker places though (cafés, restaurants, internet places and guesthouses) and it's very nicely located in a valley with a river. We have lunch overlooking the mountains and it's a stunning view.
I also have a little expedition in search of some betadine (my motorbike burn is turning into Frankenblister), but it's not as exciting as I had hoped. The second pharmacy I go into has it and it's only 5,000 kip (50 cents). :D
We have dinner at one of the backpacker place with lots of pillows and low tables. There's a shitload of them and they all serve the same food. The place you choose to eat therefore depends entirely on what they have on television: they all have screens and show different tv shows and movies.
The main highway
We end up having dinner at the restaurant that shows "The Simpsons". Day 17: Vang Vieng - Laos
For today we booked a tubing, caving and trekking day trip. We have a quick breakfast at a bakery across the street and then get shoved into a tuk tuk with a bunch of other people. It's a 30 minute ride, including a flat tire that they repair immediately on the street.
Apparently we booked a different tour than the rest of the people on the tuk tuk as we get separated from the group and it's just me, Selmer and our guide. First we see the "Elephant Cave", named after a piece of rock that looks like an elephant and is a holy place with a huge buddha statue inside the cave. After that we walk for a bit and get to do some real caving. We get one of those helmets with a light on it and I feel very professional. :D The caves are really muddy and slippery, but it's really cool with lots of sparkly rocks inside.
After the cave we also visit the "water cave", that is basically a steam running through a cave. We get tubes to sit in and then you just float into and through the cave and it's really cool. There's another group in the cave as well and it looks pretty funny from a distance, all these people floating around with lights on their heads. :D
After the caves we have lunch and then go for a walk in the valley. It is such a stunning place and I really enjoy the walk, especially as it's only the three of us and we get to talk to our guide for a bit and learn about the life of the locals. :D
After the walk we get back into the tuk tuk and then are taken to the tubing launching place. The tubing is really fun and relaxed as you just float along the river with the current and all you have to do is make sure you don't hit any of the rocks that are sticking out of the water. There are a lot of places on the riverside where you can get drinks, listen to music and jump off tall wooden towers. Most of the places are filled with tourists in bikinis swinging to loud music though, if I didn't know any better I'd think we'd ended up in Mtv's Spring Break Special. We go for a drink at a more relaxed place where they play old Bob Dylan songs. :D After that we tube on until we get to the pick up point and we are taken back to our guesthouse by tuk tuk. All in all it was a very fun tour! At night we have dinner at a different place - this time we pick the one that plays "Family Guy". :D
