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Published: January 17th 2006
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Riverine Scenery
Next to our kayaking route I left Vientiane for Vang Vieng entirely unsure of what to expect - everyone I've met whose been to the latter either absolutely loves it, or absolutely hates it. It can apparently be described in three words: Beer-Lao, tubes, and Friends (please note the capital, it's an important distinction!) Regardless, I was excited to move on after spending entirely too much time in bed in my previous two locations. On the bus I met three Aussie girls (I love the eavesdrop-and-interject method of introduction... too bad it only works when backpacking), and happened to spend the next few days with them, so from this point on the blog pronoun will be "we". We quickly found a lovely guesthouse, had a quick bite to eat, and set off to take on the activity for which Vang Vieng is well-known - tubing! To be more precise, hundreds of Western backpackers float down the slow-moving (very slow) river in giant tracker tubes, seduced by the breathtaking scenery of limestone mountains and jungle vistas and the temptations of Beer Lao hawked by Lao vendors on awesome bamboo-constructions of platforms and rope-swings. It's quite an amusing adventure, though also incredibly bizarre in that there is this
Public Transportation
Fjording a river by tractor... Words cannot even express. well-developped (though still rudimentary, tourism in Lao is still quite new) tourist infrastructure catering to every whim of backpackers, while they float past villagers still making a living by fishing and collecting seaweed in giant tractor tubes. We'd unfortunately set out a bit late in the day, and by the time we were half-way down the route the sun had disappeared behind the mountains and we cheated by taking a tuk-tuk back to town (theoretically the route will take you right into the centre). Another time perhaps?
The next day was spent on a caving-tubing-kayaking tour of the area - travelling with others is so good for me, I'm compelled to actually *do* stuff - and although the operation was decidedly 'Mickey Mouse' (breakfast took two hours - took them an hour to realize we might want to eat after getting our tea, and we were left on the dusty side of the road while the driver raced back to town to pick up the forgotten baguettes of our lunch) it was a really great day. The first cave we visited was quite lacklustre, noteable more for the buddha statues therein than the size or beauty of the site,
Rope Swings & Beer Lao
For that truly cultural experience and getting there proved awkward as we were forced, a troop of scantily-clad Westerners, to quite literally traipse through the front- and back-yards of a village, but the second was an absolutely incredible experience. An absolutely mammoth cave, extending far back into a mountain and into which access was only possible by water - we got to tube in! (Again with the tubing...) Equipped with a low-tech headlamp (the battery pack rested in my lap, yikes) I managed to make it quite far in considering my claustrophobia, but ended up turning back when it got a little too narrow, which actually turned out to be the best thing I could have done. By leaving the group I was able to float in this immense cavern, all by myself, with only the very faraway and faint light of the entrance dancing on the walls, and the unearthly sound of water lapping against the cave's walls. It was a beautiful, surreal, and enchanting experience to be left alone in silence in the presence of such primordial energy, a real testament to the history and power of our planet. The afternoon was spent kayaking, which was great more for the scenery than much
Catching Rays
Avoiding Bank exciting white water (it's dry season, the river is vverrrryyyyy low - the biggest obstactles aren't rapids but avoiding beaching), and in the evening we relaxed at one of the river-side bars which have floating bamboo platforms right on the water, a perfect place to sip a lao-lao and coke with new friends.
I could easily have spent another couple of days chilling out in Vang Vieng, but two of the girls I was travelling with were in a bit of a rush so we hustled on to Luang Prabang, the premier tourist destination of Lao. It's a quaint town to be sure, and picturesque by all accounts, but I must say I don't really get the appeal. The streets are nice to wander, but so are many... There's an incredibly kitsch and touristy nightmarket, but it doesn't hold up in comparison to, say, Chiang Mai's, and the natural surroundings? Can't hold a candle to Vang Vieng. It's still a nice place, but, in my opinion, didn't live up to the hype (I blame Lonely Planet, what city can survive the anticipation created by being called "Southeast Asia's most enchanting city"?). The only truly noteworthy feature was that its
Four Girls
And one big kayak local population seemed almost entirely comprised of monks. We mostly spent our time meandering the streets, checking out wats, shopping for great items that will undoubtedly not hold up to the harsher realities of my Vancouver perception, and eating at lovely riverside restaurants... This is all starting to sound a bit familiar! The two girls in a rush took off pretty fast, while Vanessa and I stayed on to spend a day checking out the famous Pak Ou caves and Kuangsi waterfall, and planning our big adventures into more rural Laos. The caves were less than impressive, again being famous for the statues they stored, but the waterfall was beautiful, and, again, it was a good day. At the waterfall we met an English guy who told us about a big "full moon party" happening in Vang Vieng that weekend, and, sadly enough, the idea of a decent party, a full-day in the sun on a river, and the ease of travel seduced us back to Vang Vieng... In my defense, I would have had to backtrack regardless. The party never materialized, despite our best efforts, but the day in the sun in the tube was good enough to lessen
Luang Prabang
Sunset fetish ex.10382481 our disappointment, despite hunger hitting halfway along the route and forcing us to speed up our leisurely pace with a particularly unattractive combination of swimming-walking-paddling.
Currently back in Vientiane, and quite eager to set off for Thailand (and the beaches) tomorrow. At this point I'm left feeling very unsure about my experiences in Lao... It's an unarguably stunning country, and the food and people are lovely, but tourism has exploded and it's all too-much, too-soon. Vang Vieng, with its tractor tubes, restaurants playing Friends on loop to travellers munching pizza at reclining tables, and population whose children will grow up with the first words of "Beer-Lao!" is almost obscene. The clash of East and West is visible everywhere, and "West" is winning. There's no doubt that tourism will, in some ways, benefit the country and the people, but tradition and culture shouldn't lose out to the cash-cow of catering to the whims of Westerners.
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dibenedetto2006@hotmail.co.uk
non-member comment
HI!!
Just thought id leave u a comment to say how amazing ur pictures are. u must be having the time of ur life! and may i just say... well helloooo sexy laydee! hope u dont mind me saying so... as i am female myself! but ur looking good considering most travellers look pants. hehe