Vang Vieng, the land of tubing

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To get to Vang Vieng we had an adventurous day of travel!
1) Another three hour crowded Sangthaew back to Luang Prabang
2) A tuk tuk to Luang Prabang town centre
3) A mini van to the mini van station (I know!?)
4) A mini van to Vang Vieng.....that OVERHEATED! It was supposed to be a five hour bus journey, but three hours in and we were stranded on the roadside.

So.....

5) The minivan driver begins to hitch hike for us! Two big lorries stop but move on again, until a sangthaew driver agrees to take us for a fee, so we leave the minival behind with the driver and hitch a ride! One problem....the sangthaew is FULL of wood and some other kind of produce! So, we took it in turns to perch on some wood and hang on out of the back looking onto the open road while the other two were squeezed in the front with the driver and his daughter! What a sight! I actualyl enjoyed hanging out of the back despite being rained on, it was quite liberating and the lightning was fantastic!

Finally we did arrive in Vang Vieng! Within about half an hour I had been offered drugs....one aspect of Vang Vieng.

Tubing...
That's the reason most people come to Vang Vieng, and yes it is good fun!!
It feels a little odd that it is there in the middle of Laos, and not typically Laos at all - purely there for tourism - not sure it creates the best reputation for us 'falang' as we are known.
Basically you hire a tube, and get driven to the start, where you float down the river and stop off at bars along the way for some drinks, or 'buckets' of more lethal cocktails. Once the bars run out you float back to Vang Vieng town for about half an hour....arriving slightly worse for wear than when you left it!
Then the bars in town allow you to carry on the party, and the buckets! (There is still the standard Laos curfew though, nothing is really open past midnight). It's a fun day on the river if you like a bit of a party.

Another odd thing about Vang Vieng that purely caters for tourists is that every restaurant will blare out friends all day on the TV screens. All good and well for a day, but not very Laos. Tubing was fun, but for me it was in...tubing...and out again - it's a bit of a surreal tourist bubble. The scenery however, is beautiful!

Next stop...the capital.

J xx

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