ventures in Vang Vieng

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ok so , feelin a little sore and drousey so bear with the spelling and the disorientated ravings!
will explain further on, its all good!
so last entry was a little boring, iv done loads since.
we had a day bikeing it around Vientiane! imagine me, renting a bike! it was pretty funny at first, i was as awkward as a seal trying to cycle with flippers, big wide corners and the odd stumble, but, as we got lost, i improved, became more fluid or whatever and we reached our destination- the market
oh what a trial, you just want to buy absolutly everyting, well, the white goods didnt take my fancy-i'd never fit a wah\shing machine im my rucksack- although it is a 100L. we walked for hours, stalls and stalls or wonderful scarves, bags all the nice things, was a little more expensive than some other places weve been but nothin in comparison to european prices., picked up a couple of neccessary objects (torch -sorry gil lost urs on a boat.i miss it!) and a few not so necessary. we nearly got lost in there! we made it out, back to the dizzying heat and our cycle home.we did see a few other sites on the way, buildings etc. and i think the locals saw some sites too, namely me! we what can i say. i feel like and alien, or a warm up act for a freak show- a good one, i need a sign over my head saying 'i come in peace'. twas only hilarious, the reaction my whiteness is getting, a couple of randomers just came up and touched my leggs- just with one finger- not in a freaky way- just like i was a hot plate! a buddist monk, all in his orange robes no less, told me i was pretty! its a constant laugh. they kinda drive buy have a goood gawk, and if i smile the smile back or laugh and of course i give them a royal wave- like the queen and the wave back. apparently they havnt seen the likes of me before! chris gets a fierce laugh, tis so funny though, iv been laughing 90%!o(MISSING)f the time. tis great! they are so lovely and firendly and smiley. anywaay- cris has also documented this on her bebo- my celebrity status!
anyway we headed to Vang Vieng. so the bus journey was comfortable! full of back packers. the countryside is greener here, like home kinda appart from the palm trees poping up all over the place. the houses are still kinda shaks on stilts, but all in a little group- a village, some more coumfy looking than others, tis funny, a wodden shak, probably no plumbing and then out front, a ginormous satalitte dish. you have to be a little jealous, there such a self sufficient p[eople. the children are playing all over the place, the cows are wandering the roads (pigs too, and chickens) some men are out bulding other houses, women sitting soing their washing, and many people just sitting, watching, talking. they are ultra laid back- no car loans or hours stressing at your job, catching or picking your own food. the heat and hazy air around the mighty limestone mountains and the river curving around hills and hollows makes it seem like some sort of advert for peace and harmoney, a land high in the mountains where people smile all day and life is a breeze. it certainly would make you want to let time slip away whiel you just slip into a sort of comfort zone. so, thinking about it, would you like a life like that relaxing, swaping a mortgage, having to tax your car, go to the dentist, happy out all day in exchange for lack of plumbing and a few insects. and well to be honest , no , i like my comforts, hot chocolate with marshmallows, mars bars, cosy fires in teh cold, batch bread and a well done steak cooked by my dad! but there is a lot to be said for it, not so many pressures, but i think, we do work bloody hard, but do reap the rewards.
so we got to Vang Vieng, backpacker central. they come here for the tubing- floating down the river in a tyre tube. but there are tonnes of activitives. we found orselves a hut- the bus dropped us outside- and for $3 we had a bed a mosy net (thanks god for duct tape and dental floss McGyver eat your heart out!- we patched all the holes in the net) and we were at one with nature - at least the nature inside and outside our hut- alsorts of noisey birds, insects, lizards and about 3 cocks- which have impecable timing, managing to wake us promptly at 5.30ish. well too early anyway according to chris! . so we had an amazing adventure- thanks to chris's encouragement, we booked a 2 day rock climbing course! wohoo! we we finixhed today. i feel like i tackled a torney bush, then a bear and had an hour on one of those stretching machines people used for torture in midevil times (or at the end of braveheart) while laughing gas was my oxygen! it was brill. I would have never even though of it only for herself. se were in a group of five- the other 3 guys were the guide and his students, they were absolutly lovely. talk about serious work though, day one, minute 2 (after a tuk-tuk, and boat ride) harness yourself in and off you go - up that wall with ya, tis just 10 meters! i was shockin nervous for the first two climbs - but then realisin your totally safe, twas excellent. the best bit for me was coming down , once you reached the top. lovely feeling - swinging and being dropped to the ground but being totally safe. so we climed loads, had lunce and climed some more - to a 6 grade or somthing - 20 meters anyway. and boy, how unfit are we. our arms and legs were vibrating, and the sweat were poiring out of us- enough to water a hectare of crops. byt the end of the day, i got to hop off a 10 meter wooden stair way and swing out to the water and crop in for a refreshing swim. we were wrecked adn sore but managed to get up this morning -the dam cock saw to that- and start all over again. Chris surpassed herself and learnt how to lead- i.e head up the wall/rock with a rope and make a path for the other climbers to follow, and managed to get to the top of a bloody difficult stretch which i happily slipped off and enjoyed lots of swinging around! so - with our friend nurofen, we did a few climbs up the limestone rock and had a great laugh with everybody about the whole thing. end of day we abseiled down a cliff -about 23 meters, wich was deadly - only regret, i didnt go fast enough, tis amazing how safe you are with a bit of rope! so i must do that again. it was a beautiful place, a bar on the waters edge, tubers and kyakers passing buy and stopping for a beer, us - abseiling and a pile of people jumfing off the water swing, with U2 playing in the backround, and the scenery, well, nothing short of breath taking - like somthing out of a make believe movie, maybe like Jurrassic Park. maybe the reason everybody is so happy and smiley. so end of day, and we are after a good shower (hot. yipee, another small mercy!) tasty food, and great beer, we have booked orselves for a day of kyaking, caving and treking tomorrow! lunatics, and the pair of us hobblying down the road groaning like grannies, wouldnt say no to a walking aid! so thats the reason for the fingers, swollen and scrapped and you should see my knees. not sure how i managed but i god scrapped just about every where, bar my face. my knees look about 15 different colours with all the bruising, but they're not sore. im ashamed to say i was forced to purchase a pair of spandex trousers (couldnt get a normal tracksuit and otherwise they only have baggy trousers). along with the extra shorts - for extra padding - i looked like i could have been in the movie Fame! or even done a mrs. motivator fitness video. the guys we were with though it was so funny! even the tuk -tuk driver and the waiter at breakfast couldn't stop laughing. so im sure iv left out loads but sure im fecked after it all.
so our only huge, terrible and fierce problem is ... where to get drunk on paddys day... oh the problems- this is the life! so il be off, il add a pic maybe, cris added a few, too many of me but sure have a look. http://goldphishmemory.bebo.com
toodles
gracie
oh, were off to Luang Prabang next, more action and adventure, and dare i say, plenty more beer.

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