Vang Vieng, Laos

Trip Start Dec 11, 2008
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Trip End Mar 06, 2009


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Where I stayed
Vang Vieng Villas
(Vang Vieng hotels)

Flag of Lao Peoples Dem Rep  ,
Thursday, January 15, 2009

Vang Vieng is a lot like Steamboat and other places in Colorado- there are big mountains and beautiful scenery everywhere and a bunch of people who enjoy a good time down in the valley.  There is a similar veriety of summer activities that people come here for: mountain trekking, rock climbing, fly fishing, bike riding, river tubing and partying.  The town is a little bit polarizing among travellers.  Everyone has an opinion: either love it or hate it.  Some dislike the sort of hedonistic aspects of it because it tarnishes the idyllic view of unspoiled frozen-in-time Laos they have.  Others take it for what it is: a little town that has embraced some Western modes and enjoys a good time. 

That being said, tubing the river was so much fun, it was ridiculous.  You take a tuk-tuk taxi truck thing with some tubes down to the river and right where you get in, there's two bars.  A French guy walks up to us and asks if we'd like to help the school children by buying a giant mojito in a plastic bag (for mobility) for about a buck and a half.  "Okay, but only for the children."  Before you even get in the river, you hear the music blaring from the bars about 50 meters downstream.  You get in your tube and float down the swift and brisk Mekong to a group of bars, all of which have giant rope swings and zip lines that throw people great heights and distances into the river.  I don't know where the Vang Vieng haters come from, but where I come from that's what you call good clean fun.  The drinks flow cheap and often free for the girls.  One of the bars had a big mud wrestling pit.  All of them had ridiculously loud music.  The last bar was packed with people all having a big dance party.  It looked like MTV Spring Break '93, but the people were far more dishevelled and from all over the world.  We closed the day on the river singing "I've Had the Time of My Life (And I Owe it All to You)" with about 200 people.  Good times.

The other thing people don't like about Vang Vieng is that people watch TV here- that's right, TV!  There's this weird phenomenon of having multiple TVs in restaurants and bars where they only play "Friends" and "Family Guy."  You'll be walking down the street and people are sitting up on these elevated platforms that have large tables for communal eating and drinking and bunches of cushions and pillows for getting comfy and watching TV.  You can pretty much choose your restaurant by which episode is playing that you want to watch.  They all have delicious and cheap food and beer and it's actually quite fun and a bit of a bonding experience to laugh at the same things with people from all over the world.  Sometimes you just gotta say to yourself, "When in Rome..."  Besides, it's how the Lao people do it here.  It's not like a bunch of westerners came here and said "We're not eating here unless you play 'Friends' episodes all day."  So to all the haters: get off your horse and just enjoy it for what it is.
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