After the Rainstorm.....

Okay, so it didn’t rain for forty days and forty nights so I can’t quite compare myself to Noah, although we did see some irritated chickens fluttering around on the patio and some very anxious looking bison wandering around town during our 90 hour rain shower. The same day that we arrived in Vang Vieng, eager to test our paddling skills on the bubbling rapids, the sun decided to take a break and hide for three days while the rain and gray clouds took over the spotlight. Various eateries and cafes took advantage of the stranded travelers, pulled out their pillows and showed movies and episodes of “Friends” around the clock. There was nothing else to do except watch the Ross and Rachel saga over and over and over…….


Just as we were about to go stir crazy in the little town, we woke to sunny skies, grabbed our bikinis, and raced to the river with our tubes in tow. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea and the river was full of friendly faces and shouts of greeting that echoed off of the canyon walls. Several entrepreneurs have taken the opportunity to build miniature bars along the muddy banks, complete with ziplines, bamboo diving boards, and swings that shoot you out into the middle of the river.


The whole tubing experience in Vang Vieng is pretty entertaining. When the river is about to sweep you past a “resting” point, the tiny Lao bar man tosses out an impossibly long bamboo pole, hauls you to shore (with your five friends and the guys you have met along the way grabbing on as well), hands you a freshly open “drink,” and then pushes you on your way down the river. We stopped at a couple of the more popular bars to offer some American camaraderie and have a whirl on the ziplines and swings. FYI - seven meters seems much higher when you are actually standing on the edge of the platform staring down into the water!!


Another blue skied afternoon brought us to Tham Phu Kham cave, a straight up 200 meter climb. The cave was little to brag about, but the lagoon next door was a miniature Eden. We took turns swinging out into the cool waters and jumping from the trees. We were pulled to the lagoon in the most interesting of contraptions. Dr. Seuss would have had a wonderful time describing this vehicle. We were trying to think of a Suess-like name and came up with ‘wanagoose’ and ‘swalahan.’ Perhaps you can all do better for my days of “Green Eggs and Ham” are pretty distant memories. Anyway, imagine a wheelbarrow with a roof that is pulled by half of a riding lawn mower. I was afraid we were going to tip over for most of the trip, but it saved us a 10 km walk in the mid-afternoon heat.


Kayaking was fabulous! Liz and I are ready to take our place on the women’s Olympic team after our performance on the river. We managed the rapids quite well, except for one narrow passage where we couldn’t steer quickly enough to avoid being rushed towards some very thick and prickly bushes. Liz managed to duck just in time, but I had to grab onto one of the branches to avoid being punctured in the lungs and tore out a sizable chunk of skin from my hand. Our guide was very informative, helpful, and fun. He seemed to like starting water fights with the girls. We pulled over for lunch and then started our trek up into the mountains in the direction of some caves. My very expensive trekking sandals that Sportsmart promised would be suitable hiking shoes took that perfect opportunity to break and I was left walking barefoot for the rest of the day. I had to pick my way through the banana trees, sugar cane, and other weeds that rose over our heads. Years of running around barefoot on the farm prepared me well, but Nike will be hearing from me a.s.a.p.


The sleeping elephant cave was unbelievable! The cave stretched for miles in either directoin and had some of the most interesting rock formations I’ve ever seen. We carried bamboo torches to help light the way and they bounced eerie shadows off of the cave walls. I felt just like Indiana Jones, except the whole scary men chasing you with blowguns, hairy spider, and lost treasure experience. But it was close enough! Various portions of the cave were partially filled with water that we had to wade through and we even shed our clothes to go swimming in a few of the ‘ponds.’ I don't want to think about what type of fish I was swimming with but I'm sure it was comparable to that icky looking thing from Star Wars that swam with all of the trash. (remember?)


Today is Sunday. The girls are napping and I am sitting along the river bank watching the children romp and play. They don’t have school and are free to spend the day splashing in the water. Most of the kids are 5, 6, or 7 yrs of age and there are no parents around to supervise. However, these playful youths have grown up on the water and everyone watches out for each other. They are all so happy-go-lucky and I can’t help but laugh along with them. I waded in a while ago and was surrounded by eager boys, begging to be thrown. I gave in and we had a great time until my arms reminded me that I had spent 7 hours kayaking the previous day and I returned to my perch on the banks. They come by to splash me so often for leaving them in the middle of our playtime. Perhaps I can convince Liz or Jen to jump in the river when they come down to meet me.


We only have one more week left in Laos and then we will be crossing into Cambodia. Plans are finalized for us to volunteer in Siem Reap for several weeks. We will be teaching English at one of the poorer schools in the area. It will be a wonderful experience!!!


That’s all for now. The girls are making there way across the bridge to meet me and I am going to whisper to the boys to drag them into the river. It’s a hot day after all!

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