car crashes...lao style
LAOS | Monday, 30 July 2007 | Views [599]
we caught the bus from Vientiene to Vang Vieng on wednesday afternoon. when we went to get on the bus, we found that the aisle was full of sacks containing mysteriously sqishy objects and the back couple of rows were filled with boxes, bikes, plastic stools and an assortment of things. it was only a few steps from having live animals running around the bus.
it was dark when we arrived here and had to walk accross the vang vieng international airport [a big gravel landing strip filled with potholes] to get to the town. it was strange arriving at night, because only the touristy places were open and we couldnt see what the town looked like. however there was a big lightening storm, so we caught glimpses of mountains all around the town.
vang vieng is full of these bizzare things called TV bars. they are pretty much a restaurant, but with tvs all around the place showing endless episodes of friends, the simpsons or family guy. in some places, you can hear 3 different episodes of friends at the same time.
the streets are full of pancake vendors at night. i didnt understand why until i saw the menu of a bar we were at, selling "happy"pizzas, shakes, joints along with a range of mushroom and opium.
yesterday we went tubing. my body is still paying the price for it. the way it works, you pay $5 and they give you a tractor innertube, a drybag and a tuktuk lift up to the starting point. from there you float down this river surrounded by stunning mountains, and every few hundred meters there are bars, usually with giant swings or flying foxes out into the river. some of them are really high and you go really far out into the river. my right leg is really sore and feels like it will bruise after a dodgy landing.
although it's only probably 2 or 3km floating all up, we started at 2 and didnt get back until after dark, as you spend so much time stopping at the bars. there are people at each bar with these big bamboo poles to pull everyone in, because its hard to drive a tube drunk while still holding a beer.
taking it easy today, heading to luang prabang tomorrow
