Home » Laos » 'Friends', Row-men, Countryfolk

I know, it's an awful title. Another very long one - but I guess you're used to this with me by now. I was contemplating making a new entry just for the hill-tribe trek, but thought I'd add it to this blog, hence the length. I've sort of drowned you in photos this time too. Everyone seems to like these blog photos, and with connections quite good out here, I'm sure you don't mind a little photo-drowning. Think of them as a gift for reading my blog. Of course, you could just scroll down and ignore the blog, but I know you wouldn't do that...would you? :)

'Friends', Row-men, Countryfolk

Simon Wadsworth
2006-09-04 15:21:34

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back-to-back, 15 hours a day, such that here the phrase 'gap in the market' implies playing 'Family Guy' instead, it can get a little ridiculous after a while.

Generally, most people come here for a few days of rewinding and exploring the area, either on their way to of from Luang Prabang and Vientiane, rather than to develop any impression of Laos society, and I can see why. The town is surrounded by a towering karst landscape that is incredibly dramatic and very beautiful - all the more so for me as I realise it's been a number of weeks now since I've seen much of the world's impressive natural landscape (and since NZ where I seemed to climb a different mountain every day). Since Bangkok, most sights have consisted of either temples, village, temples, rice fields, historical sites or temples. Basically, I've missed my mountains!

Hmm, so far I've managed to waffle without mentioning a single thing I've been up to (watching 'Friends' doesn't count). I'll get right to it then. 2 days of caving, tubing, kayaking, death-defying jumping and surviving the extreme heat. It's the peak dry season right now, which sounds like perfect timing until you realise this means +35oC and views obscured by dust. But what better cure to the heat than tubing down the river with beer in hand; the second thing Vang Vieng is famous for. I there befriended 4 others; Dave, Olly, 'Z' and Pamela, of which I was the youngest by 7 years (but thankfully no one seemed to notice for most of the day), and together we grabbed our big rubber tyres, got driven 17km north and dumped at the river's edge where we're expected to place our bums in the centre of said tyre and simply allow the river to carry us back into town over several hours, backed by the towering breath-taking mountains. A genius concept!

This day is further broken up by occasionally paddling like a penguin around a cheeky ...