Hey party people ! Spent a solid week in Vang Vieng over the Laos New Year , and for good reason . A very small town it is sitting on the Nam Song river shaded by massive Limestone mountains . A very scenic place catering heavily to the international backpacker.
The centre of town is full of restaurants and bars , some playing episodes of friends at blearing volume , some playing the latest movies and some just pumpin out some beats to get down to . Most places have these raised style bed like lounges loaded with pillows to kick back on while you chow down and watch a flick , or for those to melt into while sampling some of the recreational substances on offer . An easy place to watch the days go by .
Beyond town you can explore a truckload of caves and waterfalls . Some caves hold buddhist statues and shrines while others were used as hideouts for military personel and villagers during the war . The caves are littered amongst the limestone mountains so make for a good adventure.
If you can spare a lazy $5 you can hire a truck tyre tube also . A tuk tuk drops you about 3km north of town on the edge of the river and you are left to jump in and float your way back to town stopping off at as many bars , flying foxes and rope swings as you see necessary . All the bars play loads of good tunes at high voltage over the river to lure you into their establishment for a hard earned thirst so you are never short of being entertained .
The main reason for kicking back was to celebrate the Laos new year (the year 2551 according to buddhist beliefs ). Some things close down for the 3 day waterfight so its a good idea to just stay put and enjoy yourself as travel could plans could end up drawn out . Yes ,I did say a 3 day waterfight , and thats what it was . The only way to stay dry is to lock yourself indoors and only come out at night . Utes loaded with crates of beer and people weilding water pistols and buckets of water patrol the streets hunting down anyone who might be drying out or or looking to exchange a shower . The meaning behind it all is that every new year they clean out their houses and wash everything down with water as a symbol of everything being cleansed . It makes for a fun , wet 3 days ...
Yesterday jumped on a mini bus North into the hills to the town of Luang Prabang . The town is world heritage listed and for good reason . No buses are allowed into town , the streets are clean and quiet and the people are happy and friendly . All thats left to do is cruise the town on a pushy and take in the cool old school architecture and sample some quality Laos lifestyle ....
And that time is now .... Hope you are all smiling and lovin life ! ciao for now brown cows ...
