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Published: June 17th 2005
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Gettin' Tubed
Fellow tubers on the Nam Song Gettin' Tubed
We're off tubing, Several tuk tuk loads of us. Yellow and Black larger than a car tyre, this patched piece of rubber is is our vehicle for the rest of the day...we'll use the river current as fuel but some of us will tank up on something else.... ... minutes later we had come to the first tube stop, where people were sitting our round sinking Loa beers and watching the Nam Sang river go by.....You tube and get pissed at the same time, see?
No wusses, Two Boyz
No beer for me, but maybe I do need it....The stop has got a short rope hanging from a tree..you climb to a height then use the rope to swing out just a little bit and then drop about 15-20 feet below. ..some girls watch whether I'll do it or not...I let a girl and couple of guys go ahead cos my heart starts racing when I get to the edge. ....soon I've finally done it ..three times now ...so I can't be wuss...Behind me comes one of the two boyz, Russell Barry and his pal Dermot from Dublin....One of the girls, Tam looks up at
Two Boyz
Russell Barry right anticlockwise Dermot followed by Alex in the foreground the jump and is hesitant, "I'll do the next one" she says. I put out my hand "Are you a wuss? - Cos I'm not!" I joke...
The current is strong in places, many concentrate on drinkning while some try the jumps. Another variation on the rope swing and jump except this one involves swinging out a bit further - the current is really strong and pushes you about 20 metres down the river so that you have to walk back......
Cavin' without the Carin'
Another stop and there's this tiny Lao guy with his wife and son offering tours of the cave for only US00.50c! He gives myself and Alex and (?) a headlight and a large battery supply that hangs over the shoulder. We trek through the jungle slapping mosquites on each other's backs till we come to a tiny opening in the ground and squeeze through. At the other side is a chamber and tunnel which leads to an even larger cavern.. we slide down an incline and come to an underground stream and wade through....This is not caving Western style with emphasis on safety, loads of gear.. and constant instructions to do X
Kill Whitey
"Keep the button held down"
(no self reference intended) and not to touch Y....Our guide is the only one to wear a lifejacket and he doesn't bother to come back when my light goes out....the wires slipping from the battery contacts... Standing in the water, we try to fix but I have to hold the battery pack high to keep it from slipping. Now the guide helps us and bites the wire with his teeth and wraps it firmly...We go through a bunch more caves and tunnells, then swim through a deep water channel which leads to a waterfull that exits at a large opening. (See pics below.) ....Just outside the cave is a small shrine (I took a pic see below), which contains food and cups and plates for the dead ancestors of the local people ....Truly amazing experience...
Bob Marley - Trapeze Artist
I stop for a sandwich then move on to the next beer and swing stop which belts out Bob Marley songs and has this huge swing that looks a bit like a trapeeze...A couple of people do somersaults off it....It's my turn and when I'm raised to the height I let out a loud yell, shiver and hold on for
Lao kids
Lao kids at the first beer stop dear life as I swing out over the river gulp the air and jump...
Friends or Lao?
Back at Vang Vieng. So You're in Laos.. the natural thing is to have all your meals with your legs streched out on a bed and a large blaring tvs showing friends 24*7? Wow way to go!! Not! What philistines - there is no meat on these "adventurous" travellers - just the outward paraphonilia of coloured clothes, bandanas and semi chilled out looks...
I decide on doing something different and head down a side street away from the din of friends, rap and hip/hop music to a quiet restaurant.
All the patrons are Lao and they all smile when I enter. There is goat and pork grilling on an open barbecue. There is only one dish - the traditional Lao meal Lap. She gives me a plate of white noodels, little bowl of chilli dip, a little plate of goat meet, a large plate of herbs, cucumber mint and leaves. She grabs the leaves on my plate with her hands takes one and shows me how it works...you take the large leaf, put some noodles, then
add some goat meat, cucumber a sprig of mint, fold the leaf and then dip whole thing in the chili..
More Farang and one Lao
Back for some late night fun and friends...Have drinks with Mark, Dutch guy, Alex soon to be merchant banker, Ben IT guy from midlands, some Finnish guy who is high on hash, Io looks Carribean/English...met Joan and Ni, a Lao girl who likes to smoke...Two boyz turn up later...
When the heavy rain subsides I make a dash for my guest house..
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Ray_Om
Ray Cordoba
can u advice me !
I want to ask you, when u go for such thing like swimming and all !! Where do u keep ur cash ! DO u take the whole cash with ya or just leave it in the guesthouse ! I know this is a silly question, but iam travelling soon and i will gonna be alone ! so can u plz advice me what to do ! thx dude Good luck Ray