Vang Vieng, Laos
I arrived in Vang Vieng, Laos on Tuesday (9 January) afternoon to fantastic weather. The minibus ride from Luang Prabang was really, really beautiful. The road wound through some fantastic karst mountains. The mountains were completely blanketed in trees. It seems as though the cliff faces have to be overhanging not to be covered in trees and its amazing on what a steep slope the trees grow. Once in Vang Vieng I checked into some of the best value accomodation in Laos. A big, clean room with attached clean, hotwater, bathroom was just $3.
After checking in, I went for a walk around the village. Most of the village lies on the east side of the Nam Song (Nam = river). There are a few guesthouses and bungalows on the quieter, west side. I was over on the other side of the river looking at some bungalows (thinking I would move over to them the next day) and watching the sunset over the mountains when I ran into an Aussie couple - Jess and Gavin - that I had met on the bus from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang. They invited me to have dinner with them and some other travelers they had met that evening. That worked out perfectly since I was new to town and hadn't met anyone yet. So that evening I met up with the Aussie couple and eventually 6 other travelers - 9 total - for a long, relaxing, fun dinner.
The next morning (Wednesday, 10 January) I met up with Fraujke, a Dutch girl, who I had met the previous night at dinner. After breakfast we bumped into another Aussie couple that we had also met at dinner the previous night. They were going toobing down the Nam Song (river) that day which is the main highlight of a trip Vang Vieng - everyone goes toobing in Vang Vieng. So we joined them, and 3 more people they had met, for a little fun in the sun on the river.
Being the semi-professional river toober that I am, it would take a lot to surprise me, but the numerous river side bars complete with zip lines and huge rope swings, was definitely something I haven't seen on the rivers in Texas. One bar had a sand volley ball court which was a lot of fun. The same bar had a really high rope swing - the highest I have ever been on. So in a nutshell toobing down the river was a total blast. Too fun, it turns out, to leave time to get to the take-out in Vang Vieng village. We had to catch a tuk-tuk (taxi) about 2/3 of the way down as the sun was setting behind the mountains and we were getting cold.
As I was waiting for everyone to meet up for dinner that night, guess who I saw strolling down the road? Yvo (as in Yvo and Helen, my friends from Holland who I met in Nepal and have been traveling on and off with)!! It was a huge shock as we had parted ways in Nong Khiaw and I hadn't expected to see them again for at least several months. It was a very happy reunion, to say the least, in large part because it was so unexpected. That night we all went out for dinner - the old group and the new group - and afterwards to a bar. All the bars in Vang Vieng shut down at 11:30 or 12, so it takes some effort to stay out too late. Since toobing was so fun I had no qualms about another day on the river the following day with my old pals.
The next day (Thursday, 11 January) Yvo, Helen, the Israelis (Bat-Shahar and Michal), and I hit the river. It was another fun day. The previous day we hadn't made it all the way the river so today it was my mission to make it all the way. But its difficult with all the riverside activities distracting you... Nevertheless we made it down to the take-out before sunset. That evening was another fun dinner and then to a party at an outdoor bar. It was a fantastic day.
On Friday (12 January) we had plans to go visit a nearby cave, Tham Jang (Tham = cave). After many delays, and 3 hours after Yvo and I woke up, all the girls were finally ready to go. A couple of Aussie girls we had met on the river the previous day made our group 7 people. The main cavern of the cave was fairly cool, although nothing like the cave in northern Thailand. There were nice views at one point as a hole in the wall of the cave opened to the outside and afforded views over the village, river, mountains, and valleys. But by far the coolest part was at the base of the mountain, below the main entrance. A crystal clear, spring fed river flowed out of a small opening, perhaps 8 feet in diameter. We all new from our bibles (Lonely Planet guide book) that you could swim up this river deep into the cave, so we gave it a go. Out of perhaps 10 people (we ran into some Aussies I had met 2 days prior) that got into the water, only 3 of us made it to the end where the cavern narrows to a close. (surprisingly all the girls turned around early......) The water was deep enough the entire way that you couldn't touch the bottom, aside from the occasional ledge. And after maybe 40 meters you needed artificial light (holes in the ceiling and walls provided enough light for the first part). But I had my trusty headlamp, and with that on my head, we swam our way upstream deep into the cave. By the time we reached the furtherst point we were at least 120 meters in and with headlamp off it was pitch-freaking-dark. It was a pretty surreal experience and I can't really describe it well. There we were, just three of us swimming up a river in a small cave with just one headlamp between us into the unknown in the middle of Laos. We had the reassurance of our friends on the outside and the current constantly wanting to take us down stream. After perhaps 30-45 minutes the expedition team emerged victoriously into daylight. What a blast! Another group dinner that night and to a bar afterwards. And another hell of a day in Vang Vieng, Laos.
The following day (Saturday, 13 January) my original group was leaving me again. Yvo, Helen, and the Israelis were heading down to Vientiane and the following day on to southern Laos so I wouldn't see them again for a long while. So that morning we parted again and again it was sad. I was staying one more day in Vang Vieng and had no plans. I was solo once more and all the other people I had met in Vang Vieng were heading north to Luang Prabang that day. So with not much to do, I decided that toobing would be a good way to spend the day and meet some people. It was fun, but not nearly as fun as the other two days of toobing. I stopped and played volley ball for a bit and for some more rides on the really high rope swing (at least 20-25 feet at the top of the first swing). That evening I watched a couple of movies in a 'movie bar' and went to sleep early for the first time in a while. There was another party at a bar but I didn't feel like going.
The next morning (Sunday, 14 January) I caught the bus south to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.
After checking in, I went for a walk around the village. Most of the village lies on the east side of the Nam Song (Nam = river). There are a few guesthouses and bungalows on the quieter, west side. I was over on the other side of the river looking at some bungalows (thinking I would move over to them the next day) and watching the sunset over the mountains when I ran into an Aussie couple - Jess and Gavin - that I had met on the bus from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang. They invited me to have dinner with them and some other travelers they had met that evening. That worked out perfectly since I was new to town and hadn't met anyone yet. So that evening I met up with the Aussie couple and eventually 6 other travelers - 9 total - for a long, relaxing, fun dinner.
The next morning (Wednesday, 10 January) I met up with Fraujke, a Dutch girl, who I had met the previous night at dinner. After breakfast we bumped into another Aussie couple that we had also met at dinner the previous night. They were going toobing down the Nam Song (river) that day which is the main highlight of a trip Vang Vieng - everyone goes toobing in Vang Vieng. So we joined them, and 3 more people they had met, for a little fun in the sun on the river.
Being the semi-professional river toober that I am, it would take a lot to surprise me, but the numerous river side bars complete with zip lines and huge rope swings, was definitely something I haven't seen on the rivers in Texas. One bar had a sand volley ball court which was a lot of fun. The same bar had a really high rope swing - the highest I have ever been on. So in a nutshell toobing down the river was a total blast. Too fun, it turns out, to leave time to get to the take-out in Vang Vieng village. We had to catch a tuk-tuk (taxi) about 2/3 of the way down as the sun was setting behind the mountains and we were getting cold.
As I was waiting for everyone to meet up for dinner that night, guess who I saw strolling down the road? Yvo (as in Yvo and Helen, my friends from Holland who I met in Nepal and have been traveling on and off with)!! It was a huge shock as we had parted ways in Nong Khiaw and I hadn't expected to see them again for at least several months. It was a very happy reunion, to say the least, in large part because it was so unexpected. That night we all went out for dinner - the old group and the new group - and afterwards to a bar. All the bars in Vang Vieng shut down at 11:30 or 12, so it takes some effort to stay out too late. Since toobing was so fun I had no qualms about another day on the river the following day with my old pals.
The next day (Thursday, 11 January) Yvo, Helen, the Israelis (Bat-Shahar and Michal), and I hit the river. It was another fun day. The previous day we hadn't made it all the way the river so today it was my mission to make it all the way. But its difficult with all the riverside activities distracting you... Nevertheless we made it down to the take-out before sunset. That evening was another fun dinner and then to a party at an outdoor bar. It was a fantastic day.
On Friday (12 January) we had plans to go visit a nearby cave, Tham Jang (Tham = cave). After many delays, and 3 hours after Yvo and I woke up, all the girls were finally ready to go. A couple of Aussie girls we had met on the river the previous day made our group 7 people. The main cavern of the cave was fairly cool, although nothing like the cave in northern Thailand. There were nice views at one point as a hole in the wall of the cave opened to the outside and afforded views over the village, river, mountains, and valleys. But by far the coolest part was at the base of the mountain, below the main entrance. A crystal clear, spring fed river flowed out of a small opening, perhaps 8 feet in diameter. We all new from our bibles (Lonely Planet guide book) that you could swim up this river deep into the cave, so we gave it a go. Out of perhaps 10 people (we ran into some Aussies I had met 2 days prior) that got into the water, only 3 of us made it to the end where the cavern narrows to a close. (surprisingly all the girls turned around early......) The water was deep enough the entire way that you couldn't touch the bottom, aside from the occasional ledge. And after maybe 40 meters you needed artificial light (holes in the ceiling and walls provided enough light for the first part). But I had my trusty headlamp, and with that on my head, we swam our way upstream deep into the cave. By the time we reached the furtherst point we were at least 120 meters in and with headlamp off it was pitch-freaking-dark. It was a pretty surreal experience and I can't really describe it well. There we were, just three of us swimming up a river in a small cave with just one headlamp between us into the unknown in the middle of Laos. We had the reassurance of our friends on the outside and the current constantly wanting to take us down stream. After perhaps 30-45 minutes the expedition team emerged victoriously into daylight. What a blast! Another group dinner that night and to a bar afterwards. And another hell of a day in Vang Vieng, Laos.
The following day (Saturday, 13 January) my original group was leaving me again. Yvo, Helen, and the Israelis were heading down to Vientiane and the following day on to southern Laos so I wouldn't see them again for a long while. So that morning we parted again and again it was sad. I was staying one more day in Vang Vieng and had no plans. I was solo once more and all the other people I had met in Vang Vieng were heading north to Luang Prabang that day. So with not much to do, I decided that toobing would be a good way to spend the day and meet some people. It was fun, but not nearly as fun as the other two days of toobing. I stopped and played volley ball for a bit and for some more rides on the really high rope swing (at least 20-25 feet at the top of the first swing). That evening I watched a couple of movies in a 'movie bar' and went to sleep early for the first time in a while. There was another party at a bar but I didn't feel like going.
The next morning (Sunday, 14 January) I caught the bus south to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.
posted by Dustin at 1:18 AM
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