Everybody have fun tonight, everybody Vang Vieng tonight.

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Februrary 12th

I dont think i've felt more like a foriegner than I did yesterday.

We started the day by going to a restaruant where noone spoke any english at all. Fortunately there was only one thing on the menu (pho) so it made ordering as easy as holding up two fingers. The soup was delicious, and served with a plate full of different herbs and chilles as well as some sort of fermented bean paste and the usual accoutrements (soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, sugar...) There were several different pieces of meat in the soup, some intentifiable (chicken, pork) some not so much. I definately ate some organ meat, and enjoyed it. What a tasty meal. When the bill came, for the two of us it was 24000 kip, or right around 3 dollars.

While we're on the subject of money, I'd like to mention how much I like exchanging 70 dollars and getting 600 000 kip in return, it makes me feel rich. I suppose that I am rich when in this part of the world. Funny that at home I make the least amount of money they can legally pay me, but here I am a rich man...

After breakfast and a couple hours of castlevania on the computer, we headed down to the vientiane bowling center. We were the only white people there, and Jenn beat me 2 games to nothing. At one point I actually threw the ball backwards out of my hand like a cartoon, It was embarassing.

Today we made the trip to Vang vieng. We were picked up in a van and taken to what was supposed to be a Vip Air con bus. Instead we were led onto an open windowed minibus, and given the explaination that they hadnt sold enough tickets to justify using the larger bus. Thats all fine and good, except that we had paid for the other bus. The minibus was packed to the tits, with all availible seats taken. Jenn was forced to sit in the seat atop the wheelwell, giving her effectively no leg room. My seat wasnt as bad, but I still managed to throw my back out during the 4 hour journey twisting up and around the mountains.

Upon arriving in Vang vieng, the bus dropped us all off at a guesthouse. Not about to help the bus company profit anymore off us, we walked off with our packs on our backs in search of another place to stay. Unfortunately the place we wanted to stay was booked up, so we settled for a fan room in a guesthouse that only appears to have 2 rooms. ye

Tomorrow were going to try the infamous tubing down the nam song river. Essentially they drop you off at the top of a hill and you ride an inflated tractor tire tube down about 3 km, along the sides of the bank are little bars that sell drinks and have rope swings and such. I guess well see how that goes on the morrow

By the way, I really appreciate any comments/emails from everybody. It keeps me from feeling homesick.

Take care friends.

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Comments

[Amanda]

Sounds like you guys are having an amazing time! How nice it would be to feel like the richest person in the country! I doubt I'll ever experience it, so enjoy it! lol! Keep the pictures coming!