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Published: October 31st 2008
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Tubing in Vang Vieng
The scenery was amazing and the surrounding hills covered in mist made you feel like you were in New Zealand Our arrival in Vientiane could be described as very low key, as was our 3 nights there. We arrived with the mother of all hangovers as a result from an over-exuberant Australia Day celebration in Siam Reap. Most of the hostels were pretty full once we made it into the town around 6pm but we were lucky enough to find a spare room albeit the most uncomfortable beds we have ever encountered (wouldn't call them beds, I will say just a block of wood). It was a sleepy town and we needed a couple of days to relax before we moved on so it was perfect timing.
Along the Mekong there were a number of food stalls and some great wooden shacks that served great food and a cold Beer Laos: The best beer in Asia. After experiencing numerous Chang Belly incidents in Thailand it was nice to drink something that didn't resemble your Dad's home brew (apologies Dad). Some friends that I had met in Thailand before lived in an amazing wooden house just behind one of the temples in the middle of town. They were very friendly and welcomed us with some drinks in the evening and letting
Bar on the Mekong
This place had fantastic food. Nothing like drinking some Beer Lao as the sunsets over the Mekong us use there balcony for the next day to just chill out. It was good also to hear them explain what life in Laos was like and the work that they were involved in (Bridge was a carbon trader and Wil worked for an NGO).
They also had the best mosquito zapper I had ever seen with a tennis racquet that annihilated any creature within the path of your swing. Much fun and satisfaction was had as we rid the porch of any unwelcome insect. The sights of Veintiane could be seen in one day so it was nice to just eat alot and have a relaxing time watching the sunset on the Mekong whilst having a cold Beer Laos.
A change in tempo was needed and we soon got it as we caught the bus to Vang Veing: Tubing capital and centre for absolute madness. The town is very touristy, however it is just one of those places where you have to accept that and just go with the flow. The first two days however were absolutely miserable with a constant downpour of rain so we passed the hours watching endless episodes of the Family Guy in
Pato Xai, Vientiene
Very similar to the Arc de Triumph one of the TV restaurants (I know its sad). With the bad weather persisting on the third day we toughened up and hired a tube and got set to float down the river doing the famous pub crawl.
Not long after we had entered the water we encountered our first bar. So this is how it goes...
The attendants at the bar have a giant bamboo pole and reel you in so you can park your tube and then have a few drinks at there wooden shack built on the banks of the river. Free Lao Lao (locally brewed rice whisky that tastes like Metho) are handed out free or you can order a bucket of Vodka, Red Bull and Coke or just have a few beers. Each bar has its own swing/flying fox so after gathering up a bit of Dutch courage you can climb up the wonky wooden structures and launch yourself off the platform into the freezing waters below.
Repeat this for the next few bars down the river and you are pretty well toasted by the end of it. The third bar had the biggest swing of them all and after a couple
At the National Soccer Stadium, Vientiene
Everyone has to make the pilgrimage to the national soccer stadium. I could have organised a game if I wanted to they just let me straight in of goes and getting cockier by the minute I tried to do the swing backwards. Remember the first rule when doing a giant swing: hold onto the handle, right. My hands were quite slippery at this stage and my perceptions were altered after all those Lao Lao shots that I instantly lost grip of the swing and fell around 7m onto my back in the water. I can still feel the searing pain as I think about it now. I spilt a bit of blood and would have a bruise on my back for a few days but my pride was dented more than anything.
I will admit that it was quite dangerous at the end as we were floating down the river all absolutely wasted and freezing cold in the pitch black looking for the end point where some Tuk Tuk's would take us back into town. We finally saw some other people huddling up on the riverbanks and joined them in the search for warmth and were saved when someone arrived in a truck to take us back to town for a hefty price. Couldn't wait for a hot shower.
So that was our tubing adventure.
Our friends place
They have this amazing place in downtown Vientiene which is beautiful inside. Nice place to hang out and zap some mosquitos Not sure where else in the world this would be legal but it was Laos after all and anything was possible!
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