Northern Laos

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Hello all,

We headed for Vang Vieng, an 8 hour bus journey, the views were good and although we'd heard stories about buses breaking down, accidents etc on the bumpy roads. We were okay and arrived safely after having slept the majority of it. The town was small and it didn't take long for us to find accommodation. After dumping our bags, we headed straight out and came across a row of bars playing nothing but re-runs of TV shows, namely, 'Friends' 'South Park' and 'Family Guy. We sat down and watched some South Park whilst we ordered and ate food. Later on, we found another bar and after ordering a drink we were offered some river weed as a salty dry snack. We couldn't resist especially after seeing a lady fishing for it during our trek in Luang Prabang. It was nice to a point, but the more we ate the more the owner of the bar kept bringing it over, too much of a good thing as I think we've had enough for a good while!

We headed for bed via me twisting Sarah's arm to watch more South Park and ended up bumping into one of the lads we trekked with and arranged to meet him and his two friends the following day to go tubing. Tubing was getting less appealing the more we saw people walking around with bandages on legs and bloody faces but as we there we thought we'd give it a go.

The following morning we hired our dingy and headed for the river. Being the dry season the water only went up to our shins which made tubing difficult as we floated/ scraped along on our bums to the first bar. A man threw us a rope with a bottle on the end and pulled us ashore and we stayed there for the remainder of the day watching the madness of people catapulting themselves into the water, somersaulting off dodgy looking wooden platforms and zip lining all with a belly full of whisky cocktails. When the water is higher you can visit many other bars along the river and can float to the end in about 2 hours. In the evening, We headed out Vang Vieng style with the guys we tubed with and went to an Irish Bar for pie and mash, cider and pool, we might as well have been in Tenerife or Benadorm ;0).

After soaking up all culture Vang Vieng had on offer, we jumped on a bus and headed south for Vientiane. We arrived 4 hours later and found a place to stay along the river. It was a change from the small towns we'd visited in the North. We spent our days there on bicycles visiting temples, monuments, finding a gym/spa for the day to use the outside pool and on one afternoon at a bowling alley where Sarah had her arse handed to her on a plate. ;0). Our evenings were spent at the local night market opposite the river eating and wandering our way through it.

We decided it was time to head to the islands in the south of Thailand for some well deserved relaxation leaving temples, pagodas, monuments and sightseeing musts behind us. :0)



Hope all is well

xxx

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Photos

Laos version of the arc de triomphe
Built using American funds in the 1960s. The cement used was originally intended to build an airfield during the Vietnam War. The Laotian government of the day used the money to build the monument instead and sometimes referred to as the vertical runway.

Comments

[Brenda Britnell]

Mekong version of a lifeguard?

[Brenda Britnell]

A very sober looking drunk :)

[Susan Sweeting]

Hi Sarah & Julian x Please to see that you are making the most of the time left. Lovely to look at your photos here in sunny Sunderland (not) as I try to stop the leak in the roof caused by all the rain. You both look tanned and relaxed, continue to enjoy, keep each other safe, being selfish I can say not long now, but we miss you so that excuses it! Love to you both, Aunty Sue xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx