Tubing on the Nam Song

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Today has been one of those hang out, watch movies, and eat lots of junk food days - yes, that's right, we're totally hung over!

We're in the little town of Vang Vieng in Laos and have spent most of the past 5 days floating down the Nam Song river in tractor inner-tubes along with about 200 other backpackers! Apart from the relaxing pace of the river, the dramatic limestone scenery, and the colourful little dragonflies that invariably land on you, there is also another big drawcard for the "tubing"; the numerous bars. All along the river, there are little bars set up which are no more than bamboo platforms selling Beer Lao and Lao Lao (the local hard alcohol of choice).

But wait, there's more! Many of the bars have flying foxes (zip wires) and rope swings set up from alarmingly high rickety platforms! So, the general idea is to buy a beer (or two, or three) and jump from the swings into the river below. When you get tired of one place, you just hop back onto your inner tabe and float down to the next bar. It is basically a pub-crawl on water! Seems very dangerous, but it's actually just tonnes of fun! We have done it three times now, but yesterday we all got a little too tipsy and could definitely feel the after-effects this morning. Thank goodness for paracetamol! (aspirins for the Americans!)

We have also been to the UNESCO World heritage town of Luang Prabang, and spent a day walking around all the temples, and a couple of days in the capital, Vientiane, visiting the numerous posh but lovely French restaurants and bakeries - good for the morale, bad for the budget and the waistline!

We might do just one more tubing trip before heading back to Thailand to find a lovely beach to spend Christmas on. It shouldn't prove too difficult in Thailand, given the sheer number of gorgeous islands!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and festive Christmas and New Year.

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Photos

Tubing Shop
This is where it all begins!

Zip Wire
When you've had enough of Tubing down the river,just stop at a bar, have a beer and 'Zip' back into the river.