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Published: September 7th 2007
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Day 136
After packing up and begrudgingly leaving our posh room we went to check out nearly forgetting that we still had our all you can eat breakfast buffet. After filling up we got a tuctuc to take us to the bus station. When we arrived we found it hard to get a straight answer from anyone, but eventually found our bus and stowed our bags on board and waited to leave. This went on for longer than expected and after another push for answers from Mark they told us that one bus had broken down and the one we were waiting for was delayed, planning to leave in 4 hours time. Not wanting a mammoth wait at a dirty bus station we got in another tuctuc to another bus station in Vientiane where we had read about other local buses destined for Vang Vieng, our next stop.
We got to the bus station and got straight on a bus which left almost immediately and paid less for the ticket than we thought it would cost. Bargain. We were on our way!
Vang Vieng is a pretty small place which is almost built for backpackers. We were dropped
off on a disused runway just outside the town and took the short walk into the centre to find somewhere to stay. It wasnt long before our ears were blasted from all sides by the sound of the 'Friends' theme tune coming from the numerous TV cafes that play the entire series of Friends, Family Guy or other series on a loop all day. Finding a hotel we checked in and went out for lunch being drawn into one of the forementioned TV Cafes catching a couple of episodes of Friends while we ate.
The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to de-virus our camera cards (something you have to watch out for when downloading pictures in different internet cafes) and recovering pictures on some that had truly got mucked up by the viruses. Having successfully wiped the cards clean and relieved to have retrieved all of the pics we went for dinner and a beer whilst taking in another episode of Friends - the perfect show to watch when you want to chill out.
Day 137
After brekkie we ran a couple of errands and found a great little cafe by the river with hammocks
for a bit of relaxation, before packing our stuff and booking in for an afternoon of Tubing. Tubing is one of the reasons why this small town is so famous as a backpacker spot in the mountains. Vang Vieng itself is nestled in between limestone karsts and forests of coconut trees and bamboo giving a stunning backdrop for the river running through it. Tubing takes advantage of all of scenery by allowing you to float down the river on a tractor inner tube ... however there is a small twist to the journey - it is dotted with bars about every 50m and with each bar there is a zip line or swing into the river - how much fun!
We were packed into a tuctuc at about 12.30pm with a load of other brits and taken about 3km upstream. Dropped off on the bank of the river we jumped into our tubes and started the float down the river. About 30m after the start a guy with a bamboo pole reached out into the river and guided us into the bank and our first stop off for the day. With our first beer we also had a great
zip line that took you up the river where you had to swim quicky back to the shore before you got swept further down the river. After a couple of goes each and draining the last of the beer we walked around the bank to the second stop.
This was amazing. Rather than a zip wire it was simply a swing into the river. Starting from quite a high platform you could really get a good swing into the river before inevitably letting go at the wrong moment and doing a sideways belly flop into the river below (well Mark did anyway, Chrissie was a little more graceful). After enjoying the swinging and refreshing ourselves with our second beer of the day we left in the tubes heading further down the river.
It was when we were relaxing in our tubes being taken gently (well quite quickly at points) with the current that Chrissie found herself embedded in some unfortunately placed reeds in the middle of the river. With a lot of laughter and a little wriggling and scraping she managed to eventually get herself free to join us at the next swing and bar.
Swinging and
drinking was a pattern that followed throughout the rest of the day. Taking a couple of dodgy landings (which were to leave her with some really impressive bruises) Chrissie retired herself from swinging for a couple of goes happily commenting on how far around we got in our attempts and somersaults.
As the light was starting to fade we got in our tubes for the final drift down the river. The light got lower and lower until it finally went pitch black! Oh. We knew we werent far away from town and our exit and joined a larger group of fellow 'tubers' making a big raft for the home stretch. After a bit of undue mild hysteria by some non-descript europeans in the raft about "missing the town and floating out to sea" we found the exit and climbed the stairs to drop our tubes off at the shop. What an amazing experience!
A little sore from the unconventional landings we went back to the hotel for a shower before going out for dinner and an evening of drinking games with Nicola, Andy and Sophie - our tubing buddies.
Day 138
Waking the next day Mark not only had a terrible hangover (as is his way!) but was struggling with an incredibly painful and sensitive eye infection he thinks he picked up from the river. Chrissie left him in bed to pick up the laundry and go for breakfast over a couple more episodes of Friends - something you dont really have much choice about in Vang Vieng!
With Mark dressed in sunnies and a hat to make it as dark as possible, Chrissie picked him up from the hotel and led him to the local Organic Farm restaurant for lunch to sample amongst other things their famous mulberry shake - yum! We had planned to see some of the caves around the area today but with Mark's eye bad this was off the agenda. It threw it down with rain all day anyway so the afternoon and evening was spent in the 'Friends' cafe where we watched an unatural number of friends episodes punctuated by the odd fruit shake or Beer Laos.
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Swinging!!
Oh my god only been married 9 months and your already swinging!!!!! ha ha!! Dirty Birds!!! Looks like so much fun, but better then your usual water park in Plas de las americas!!! Glad you guys are still having fun.. can't wait to meet up next year in OZ.. love chus long time xx