About Vang Vieng...
Vang Vieng as a town is not for everyone and doses should be personalized. Most of the restaurants in town carry two things: a blaring television and a 'Happy Menu.' Some of the restaurants play nothing but episodes of 'Friends', some only 'The Simpson's.' Never a selection of both it seems. Some specialize in movies and have large selections of DVD's.
Now the 'Happy Menu' is something that strikes me a bit curious, as drugs are not legal in Laos. Nevertheless, from this menu one can order 'happy pizza', 'happy shakes', or if you just want to forget the food part, just a rolled joint. In addition there are mushroom shakes and several varieties of opium consumption. Needless to say, save for the blaring tv's, this is one of the most laid back and quiet, or dazed at least, towns you will find.
Back at our guesthouse there are a few other things of interest. First are the kittens. Two very cute kittens lived on the grounds and they were small enough to fit through the window bars. I would wake up laughing many nights to find a kitten sleeping on my chest. It was most precious.
In addition to constant kittens, every morning was like a visit to Old McDonald's farm. It would start with the roosters crowing in the neighbor's yard behind us, and continue in competition with a pig snorting as if in extatic consummation. Add to this a baby being yanked from a peaceful sleep and crying for hours, the chopping of wood for the morning fire and subsequent smokeout through our reed walls, the pounding of rice for flour, the bells and mooing from the cows, dogs barking and constant noise coming from the mouths of the Laotian family living there, whether singing or arguing. We were up by seven every morning I think. Having said this, this is one of the most memorable and wonderful places of the entire eight month journey.
