Bangkok to Vang Vieng, Laos

LAOS
It was drizzling when the bus pulled into Vientiane. The overnight bus journey from Bangkok was superb. We had a double-decker bus with only six people on board so there was plenty of room to spread out. After a quick SARS check at the border we were in Laos - the last country for me in South East Asia left undiscovered.

Like India and Bangladesh before, Laos left some very strong first impressions. I teamed up with a young Israeli bloke called Ido and together we walked to the bus depot, via the bank where we both become millionaires. At 10,540 Kip to the dollar it wasn't difficult. At the bus station a tuk-tuk driver convinced us to take a pick-up truck to Vang Vieng instead of the bus because it would only take two and a half hours instead of five. It was only a few cents more so we got him to drive us to the pick-up station and before long we left with only a handful of people on board, plus the compulsory bag of chickens on the roof. Just past the half way point at a town called Phone Hong (sounds like phone home) the pick-up broke down so we had to wait for the next one. The next one was full but we were both squeezed on board. In Laos, no pick-up truck is ever full. I tried to keep from standing on someone’s turkey as I nestled in beside a man in army fatigues for the remainder of the journey. The man’s face was badly burnt, he only had one eye remaining, his left arm was withered and the hand was missing. Every so often he would turn his smooth expressionless face in my direction and stare at me from behind his lidless eye. Occasionally he would belch uncontrollably and then offer an apologetic smile from his permanently open mouth.

Vang Vieng didn't come quick enough - but when it did it was worth the wait. A sleepy town beside a river, surrounded by massive limestone pinnacles, plenty of cheap guesthouses and restaurants showing movies all day long. A perfect place to wind down after a year of travelling.

INNER TUBES
I stayed at a brand new nameless guesthouse in Vang Vieng for 30,000 Kip per night. It sounds like a lot but a three night stay cost just a little over US$8 for a large single room with hot water and a balcony overlooking the main street.

My guesthouse in Vang Vieng

Typical sleepy street in Vang Vieng

Apart from eating and watching movies at restaurants the main attraction of Vang Vieng is the river and the nearby caves. I spent a full day on the Nam Song river in an inner tube, slowly drifting with the current and stopping occasionally to grab a bottle of Beer Lao or explore one of the many caves beside the river. The average trip is supposed to take 2 hours but after hooking up with a New Zealand couple and a Canadian guy the Beer became a priority and the trip extended beyond 7 hours. A few industrious locals had set up make-shift Beer Lao stops along the riverside, usually consisting of a small bamboo platform and a bucket full of ice and Beer Lao.

The inner tube group by the end of our trip

As it does when staying in sleepy towns the time passed too quickly and before I knew it, it was time to move on. For the five-hour trip up to Luang Prabang I bought a seat on the air-conditioned minivan to avoid catching the local bus - which would have taken close to 8 hours.