Day 69: Vang Vieng

Trip Start Sep 21, 2006
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70
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Trip End Jun 01, 2007


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Flag of Lao Peoples Dem Rep  ,
Thursday, November 30, 2006

I hire a bike to cycle north to Ban Pha Thang for a view of a thum-shaped peak rising from the padi fields. In the stream fish swim against the current and turn on their sides to reflect the sun on their silver scales.
Along the road kids wave and call 'sábqai-dii'; They're not trained to ask for school pens here.
Back towards Vang Vieng is a turn off to several caves. There are also several opportunists charging for bike parking, bridge crossing and guiding. Across the bridge an unfortunate monkey is chained to a tree for visitors' amusement or not.
Shrugging off an unwanted guide, I visit Tham Xang, Elephant Cave, a rather tacky grotto of loudly painted, smiling Buddhas and a doctored stalagtite resembling a jumbo.
More natural thrills are found in Tham Hoi 01 Khamphone Hotel
01 Khamphone Hotel
 . Visitors are free to explore this deep cave system on their own, relying on their own torch batteries to last. Unsurprisingly, several tourists have got lost. I switch off my torch and am in complete darkness. The only sound is the slow dripping from stalagtites. My lamp doesn't penetrate far into the black, so I turn around after 15 minutes.
Next to this cave is a slightly smaller hole, Tham Loup. Shining my torch beam around in the darkness, I get a brief start as a face looks back at me - a hidden, bronze Buddha.
I fail to enter the final cave in this block, Tham Nam, it seems impossible to negotiate the low ceiling when not floating on an inner tube on the stream that flows through.
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