Feeling a bit on the slow side, I drug myself from bed and forced myself to go for a run. Dressed in my dryfit nike outfit, slathered in sunscreen and bug repellent, I managed to get out and jogging by about 10 am.
Vang Vieng is a small town that runs along side the river, so I wasn't sure how far I would be able to run. My run turned out to be quite interesting, as the tourists seemed to be still in bed but the rest of the town was just waking up. Roosters seem to be the pet of choice in Vang Vieng with a majority of households having one in their yards. Many families and businesses proudly had the red and blue Laos flag with the center moon symbol on a corner of their homes. Also, the houses which most seem shabbily built of thatch or something similar, were often sporting a satellite dish. It was a very interesting site.
I ran for about an hour and a half and was battling the sun the whole time, so when I returned back to the hotel I was pretty exhausted. Conrad had woken up and was ready to shower and prepare for tubing, so I went to use the internet and let him have time to shower. I returned and then he went to use the internet and I spent time showering and preparing my things for the "Tubing" experience. Zip lock bag, waterproof camera, lip gloss, and a bit of money and I was ready!
We stopped along the way at a nice restaurant for lunch. I got the traditional Laos food called Laap and a bucket of mojito. The Laap was amazing! I ordered it made with chicken, although I think the traditional Laap is supposed to be made with fish. It was chopped chicken, mixed with a variety of spices. After we finished our meal we got in a tuk tuk and headed to t
he river.
We got dropped off and could already hear music coming from where the party was. As we approached and saw the scene, I was seriously amazed! Masses of people were dancing on deck by the river, with people swinging through the air on swings and zip lines over the water. Girls were in bikinis and guys were shirtless and many were covered in writing or body paint. Everyone looked wasted and even though the party looked awesome, I have to admit I was quite intimidated.
Conrad went and got a bucket, while I finished up my mojito. Watching the people swing through the air on the swings made me worried because they all looked so drunk. How is it possible that no one is hurt?
We decided to move up the river to a slightly calmer bar to start and then try to find tubes. As we were walking, we had to stop because some people had decided to take up a spot in the middle of the path to "get to know eachother". I guess I wasn't drunk enough to find the humor in it yet, but I just felt bad for the poor girl that will probably regret that later.
After a few free Tiger whiskey shots, (the cheapest Laos liquor available that is given out at most bars) we were ready to have fun! We met some nice guys that had been traveling and wanted to try the swing over the river too, so we all drank our buckets in preparation.
Conrad decided to go first and I volunteered to make a video while he did it. Climbing up high above the river and grabbing onto the handle he stood about 20 feet over the river on a platform and then swung down over the river and finally jumped into the water.
I went next and my heart was racing, but I figured that everyone does it and so I bet it will be fun. As I jumped off the platform and swung over the water, I didn't really know what to do with my body, so I kinda just moved around like a ballerina. It was a really cool feeling, like a combination of flying and dancing. The only problem was, I had no idea when to make the final jump into the water. Eventually, I heard someone yell jump and so I kinda just fell clumsily into the water to end my first swing experience.
We drank more and then stole some tubes from the bar and floated up the river to the next location. We saw our Swedish friends, John and Dennis, and convinced them to stay and drink with us until sunset. John and Dennis tried to convince me to swing naked for a final time, arguing that they had already done it and it would be a great experience. They were making some good points, but I was fortunate that the sunset before I had been convinced to swing naked in public.
Everyone piled into a tuk tuk and we headed back to the city center. Conrad and I ate dinner while watching friends in a busy restaurant. I was pretty drunk but starting to feel the onset of a hangover. My evening ended early, while Conrad went out to experience some of the night life of Vang Vieng.
Vang Vieng is a small town that runs along side the river, so I wasn't sure how far I would be able to run. My run turned out to be quite interesting, as the tourists seemed to be still in bed but the rest of the town was just waking up. Roosters seem to be the pet of choice in Vang Vieng with a majority of households having one in their yards. Many families and businesses proudly had the red and blue Laos flag with the center moon symbol on a corner of their homes. Also, the houses which most seem shabbily built of thatch or something similar, were often sporting a satellite dish. It was a very interesting site.
I ran for about an hour and a half and was battling the sun the whole time, so when I returned back to the hotel I was pretty exhausted. Conrad had woken up and was ready to shower and prepare for tubing, so I went to use the internet and let him have time to shower. I returned and then he went to use the internet and I spent time showering and preparing my things for the "Tubing" experience. Zip lock bag, waterproof camera, lip gloss, and a bit of money and I was ready!
We stopped along the way at a nice restaurant for lunch. I got the traditional Laos food called Laap and a bucket of mojito. The Laap was amazing! I ordered it made with chicken, although I think the traditional Laap is supposed to be made with fish. It was chopped chicken, mixed with a variety of spices. After we finished our meal we got in a tuk tuk and headed to t
he river.We got dropped off and could already hear music coming from where the party was. As we approached and saw the scene, I was seriously amazed! Masses of people were dancing on deck by the river, with people swinging through the air on swings and zip lines over the water. Girls were in bikinis and guys were shirtless and many were covered in writing or body paint. Everyone looked wasted and even though the party looked awesome, I have to admit I was quite intimidated.
Conrad went and got a bucket, while I finished up my mojito. Watching the people swing through the air on the swings made me worried because they all looked so drunk. How is it possible that no one is hurt?
We decided to move up the river to a slightly calmer bar to start and then try to find tubes. As we were walking, we had to stop because some people had decided to take up a spot in the middle of the path to "get to know eachother". I guess I wasn't drunk enough to find the humor in it yet, but I just felt bad for the poor girl that will probably regret that later.
After a few free Tiger whiskey shots, (the cheapest Laos liquor available that is given out at most bars) we were ready to have fun! We met some nice guys that had been traveling and wanted to try the swing over the river too, so we all drank our buckets in preparation.
Conrad decided to go first and I volunteered to make a video while he did it. Climbing up high above the river and grabbing onto the handle he stood about 20 feet over the river on a platform and then swung down over the river and finally jumped into the water.
I went next and my heart was racing, but I figured that everyone does it and so I bet it will be fun. As I jumped off the platform and swung over the water, I didn't really know what to do with my body, so I kinda just moved around like a ballerina. It was a really cool feeling, like a combination of flying and dancing. The only problem was, I had no idea when to make the final jump into the water. Eventually, I heard someone yell jump and so I kinda just fell clumsily into the water to end my first swing experience.
We drank more and then stole some tubes from the bar and floated up the river to the next location. We saw our Swedish friends, John and Dennis, and convinced them to stay and drink with us until sunset. John and Dennis tried to convince me to swing naked for a final time, arguing that they had already done it and it would be a great experience. They were making some good points, but I was fortunate that the sunset before I had been convinced to swing naked in public.
Everyone piled into a tuk tuk and we headed back to the city center. Conrad and I ate dinner while watching friends in a busy restaurant. I was pretty drunk but starting to feel the onset of a hangover. My evening ended early, while Conrad went out to experience some of the night life of Vang Vieng.
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