Blogs from Vang Vieng, West, Laos, Asia - page 82

We drive through the extremely thick smog and pollution. This was our last look at Hanoi and it's a relief. I didn't mind Hanoi but the pollution and the chaos was getting too much. Thinking back to how I had to scrub the filth from my feet just from walking around, I was somewhat glad to be leaving. Arriving at the airport an hour before our plane leaves usually would raise some anxiety but 10 mins we are through customs and begin killing time. After an extremely short flight and hassle free customs we are in Laos. The "bible" claims Vientiane is perhaps the most relaxed capital city in the world. They could well be right. We were greeted by very friendly locals and were never hassled to take rides or to buy useless crap. Once ... read more

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I've finally made it over to the country on the top of my Asia list. My time is shorter, but I'm here regardless. I boarded a minibus in Hanoi which then proceeded to drive me out to the middle of the sticks which was slightly concerning. Luckily the shadow of a long bus poked out from behind a petrol station and I boarded with all of the locals. It was going to be a long journey ahead and the fact that my chair was stuck in the upright postiion was a hinderence , but not a stopper. Four hours later an abrupt stop awoke me from my slumber. The driver and several other passengers were outside hitting parts of the engine with a hammer. Starting to think I might never actually make it out of ... read more

One of the less relaxing expereinces however was being on the public bus between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng.. Reassuringly there have been no hold ups on this stretch of road, aptly named Route 13, for two years. However I have to say I was more than alarmed when the man sat directly behind me had a pistol in his back pocket and a rifle stacked up against the wall- what ever happened to a Pork Pie and a Puzzle Compendium to wile away a six hour bus journey....for obvious reasons I decided not to ask him this and strategically moved three seats ahead as in my mind I believed this would help me in an 'open fire' situation!? In all seriousness, this route is seemingly renound for armed men travelling on it, endorsed by the ... read more

August 22 After a 7-hour drive in unpaved, muddy roads; occasional toilet breaks in the bushes; surviving a road block (caused by a landslide) and heavy monsoon rains, we finally arrived in Vang Vieng. The laidback town of Vang Vieng, which is about 155 km north of Vientianne, is known for its beautiful caves. Backpackers, especially those who love the “great outdoors”, go to Vang Viang to explore the caves or to go “tubing” - riding on huge tractor inner tubes that float down in the Nam Xong river. But it was monsoon season, the whole area was flooded, roads are muddy, and caves are slippery. We stayed in a simple guesthouse, where each room has a bed, a fan and a bathroom. It’s basic really, but what I enjoyed most was the fact that we ... read more

So I'm having trouble sleeping, its not the rock hard beds, I'm used to those, the left side of my body (the side I sleep on) is covered in purple and yellow bruises. Throughout my first four months of travel in south east Asia, scores of people said Laos was their favorite place they've been to. It took me a few weeks to see why and while I don't necessarily agree I can appreciate it. For example, you walk across the street in Vietnam, you may get asked for a taxi three times, if you have a backpack you might as well a bulls-eye on your shirt. I'm used to it, it didn't hit me that Laos people don't hassle you until I arrived in the capital with a backpack past 5 taxis, all laying down ... read more