LAOS: Part III

Vang Vieng

Two became four and off we went, Jana, Ginger, Jij and Claire, on the public bus to Vang Vieng. After an extremely scenic, minimally bendy, four hour ride we reached the little backpacker trap of Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng is an active town, you might call it the Interlaken of Asia, an outdoor adventure destination. So, in true form, we did just that...outdoor adventures. We rented bikes and toured around the town, visiting surrounding villages. We had lunch at an organic farm known for its mulberries and silk worms. The food was fantastic, the view from the restaurant was also great, set right on the river that we would be kayaking down the following day. We watched as the local children headed to the river for bath/swimming time. Jij and Jana went down to the river, being the teachers that they are, to interact with the youngsters. The children couldn't get enough of seeing their pictures on the digital camera.
The following day was kayak touring day. A full day tour, the typical touristy thing to do. So there we were again, joining the herd, ready to be told what our every move would be for the next 8 hours. This time we were set loose on the river, with our broken helmets on (for safety), some of us suited in life jackets, the rest in the hands of buddha. We paddled to a village where we had a wonderful caving experience. The caving experience which was advertised as "tubing through a cave" turned into slithering on our bellies, some of us lucky enough to have flashlights in the dark, dark cave, through tight nooks and crannies just fit for the typical Thai or Lao sized person. I don't think they take into account that we westerners are giants. Anyhow, an hour of slithering through wet darkness with spiders and creepy crawlies was not quite the "tubing through a cave" I was expecting. None-the-less we survived it and are surely better people for it!
The flying fox came next! A rope swing and zip line perched high above the river. The only pre-requisite to using the flying fox is that you purchase a beer before going. Claire and Jana were the first girls of the day to successfully complete the rope swing. It was fun, sanook!
More paddling landed us back in Vang Vieng as the sun set behind the surrounding mountains. A truly spectacular scene.
A free cocktail party rounded out the day and segued into an adventurous evening. The night ended with local bar owner Jai Dee taking us to a locals hangout so that our Canadian muscician friend Martin could play pop favorites (accompanied by Jij's rice pot percussion.)
And that was Vang Vieng.