Monday 29th June 2009, Vang Vieng

Today was our travel day from Vientiane to Vang Vieng. We left Vientiane at about 10am and arrived in Vang Vieng at about 13:30. We had paid for the VIP bus service but ended up in a mini bus. Not so comfortable but at least it can move a bit faster than a coach.
Once in Vang Vieng we found accommodation on the river front. Originally we were going to look at a couple on the other side of the river but found out that each time you wanted to go over to the accommodation you have to cross over the bamboo bridge and pay a toll!! And there was no concession for it if you were staying over that side of town. So anyway we ended up staying at the Thavisouk Hotel and Resort in a nice little wooden chalet with fan and bathroom! Fairly cheap and in a really nice location on the river Nam Song.
By now it was nearing on to 3pm, so after a quick sprite (dehydrated yet again due to no drinking on the bus!) we headed into the town to explore. Vang Vieng is not that big so this didn't take long. The main area is 2 street parallel to each other and then another street on the main river front. There are also a couple of other bridges leading to a small island with a few bars on it. Whilst walking around we had a look in several shops in favour of some new Billabong shorts and had a very late lunch at the local bakery. We also had a drink at one of the town's main restaurants/bars which is where I bumped into Gemma Boni. Would you believe it, I knew she was traveling but I didn't expect to bump into her in the middle of Laos. For those of you who don't know her, Gemma and I went to primary school together in Louth. It's once again a small world!!
After having a beer we headed to the internet café to check e-mails and make a few skype calls. I had also intended to burn my photos onto CD at this point but didn't get time!! This decision would later be one I would regret!! Due to having a very late lunch neither of us felt like dinner as we weren't that hungry. We had a few beers in one bar and chatted away until we realized it was getting on for 10pm. We had said we might meet up with Gemma and her boyfriend in another bar so we headed there still with no food and ended up drinking bucket cocktails!! Big mistake!! No food+too much alcohol=2 very messy girls!! Which the next morning=bad heads, bruised legs and no camera for Suzie!! That's right I lost my camera with 3 months worth of pictures on there!! Not a happy bunny!!

Tuesday 30th June 2009, Vang Vieng

Today was a seriously lazy day!! We didn't get up till nearly 1pm and after getting very angry with myself after the realization of my camera we got dressed and headed into town for food. I also asked at the various places to see if my camera had been found but surprise surprise it had not been found!! We went to one restaurant, had some lunch and then basically stayed there the whole afternoon watching Friends!! That's right this restaurant was what's known as a "Friends" bar!! It was great!! So nice to spend a day just chilling in front of the TV. We did eventually move in the evening to buy some shorts each and eat at a different restaurant for dinner. I had traditional Lao food and Caroline had Thai. Although I was told mine would not be spicy and it came out pretty hot!! Dam them and there lies!! This place was also the most unfriendly restaurant we have been into too. Laos seems to have a problem with rude people!! Before we came here we had heard mixed reviews but compared to Vietnam and Cambodia the people here are the most unfriendly and at times the rudest!! It regularly feels like your inconveniencing them by having a drink at their bar!! Anyway tonight was a fairly early night ready for tomorrow.

Wednesday 1st July

This morning we got picked up at 09.30am for are trekking, caving and tubing tour along with five other people. We left the guest house and drove for 30 minutes to the first stop elephant cave, we had to get a small rowing boat over to the cave Suzie still can't get used to these and freaks every time we get on one thinking it's going to sink!! Once at the cave we were told the local tale of why this cave is called elephant cave (It was that exciting I can't even remember what the guide said so unfortunately I can't recite the tale). From elephant cave we then walked to snail cave, this walk was so muddy everyone ended up walking in bare feet as it was easier and you had more grip than in flip flops. At one point I was walking behind Suzie and she slipped and managed to flick mud in my face and at the other people behind her (she was not popular!), so by the time we arrived at snail cave we were all very muddy. We were then each given a torch and taken into the cave, inside it was also very wet, slippery and muddy so again flip flops weren't the best idea and Suz and I ended up in bare feet again. The torches we were given weren't very good either so we couldn't really see where we were going, so trying to negotiate walking, bending down so you didn't bang your head and trying to see all in all it wasn't very easy!!

After we came out of the cave we then walked to another cave called water cave where we were having lunch. The BBQ lunch was nice served with bread and rice. After lunch we were suppose to be tubing into the cave but as the water was so high we couldn't go in so we just had a quick swim, the water was freezing!! From the water cave we walked for about 2km through an ethnic minority village and we were then picked up and taken to the tubing start point.

Tubing is basically a rubber ring which you float done the river on and there are a number of bars along the way and if you want to stop they throw you a rope and pull you into the bar. The first bar we stopped at had a zip wire swing so we both had a go on that which was really good and they also had a tug of war into a mud pool which we both had a go on as well. This also resulted in a mud fight!! Great fun, I got it straight into Suzie's face and she got it in my ear!! Thank god for the hosepipe!! We would have stayed longer but the other people in are group a Buddhist monk and a Japanese girl who didn't really drink weren't really bothered about staying. And also our guide was quite happy to rush it along. We did mange to get them to stop at one more bar but in hindsight we would have been better doing tubing on our own. The one main advantage was that because we had the guide in a kayak he could rescue us when we got stuck. Because all though the river was fairly fast if you were in the middle but if you drifted to the side, which Suz and I seemed to do a lot, it wasn't so easy to get out again. It was also pretty hard to get yourself to the end point in the correct place to get out. Suzie ended up in the reeds and I had to climb up the river bank further down than I should have been along with the Japanese lady. After finishing the tour and returning the tubes we returned to the waterfront for a beer!! This turned out to be a mistake as the mossies were out in force!! We were both bitten more times here than we have been bitten anywhere else in Laos. But on the upside the hammocks were relaxing and we got talking to a few people.

After having a few beers we headed back for a shower and to get out of our wet clothes. Dinner tonight was on the waterfront (with Deet) at banana bar, I had a jacket potato (nothing like our jacket potatoes) and Suzie had pasta. Bed about 23:30.

Thursday 2nd July 2009, Vang Vieng

Today we had a late breakfast/early lunch at the hotel and then hired bikes and went for a bike ride. Our journey started off by crossing the Bamboo bridge over to the other side of Vang Vieng. From here we headed in the direction of the proposed caves and lagoon. Our first stop was towards a so called cave but we got stopped by a stream!! We did push our bikes through the stream but it didn't go anywhere so really was pretty pointless!! So we cycled back the way we had been and carried on up the road were we came to another sign for a cave. So we followed that sign and this road was a very steep muddy down hill road not the best road on a bike or in flip flops (We hadn't learnt from yesterday). So we eventually managed to get to the cave but once there we couldn't really go in because

we'd got flip flops on and the people we'd spoken to who had just been into the cave said they'd struggled in trainers as it was so slippery, some amazing views though so it wasn't a total waste of time.

We then had to get back up the hill which was so muddy I ended up in bare feet again!! Once back on the road we carried on along the road stopped for a drink and then found another cave and lagoon which we'd been looking for in the first place. What was advertised as a lagoon wasn't really a lagoon it was just part of the river!! So a bit of a rip off really, and again we couldn't go in the cave due to the footwear (Note to selves when we visit caves again put some sensible shoes on). Although we did attempt to climb up the hill but being mainly rocks it was fairly difficult!!

Today also a challenge for Suzie against her fear of cows!! They were everywhere. In Laos they are not tethered they are just allowed to roam freely. Not good when your scared of them!! But she made it through the day without incident.

We then cycled back, took the bikes back and had a much needed shower we were so muddy. After we had had a shower we went into town and got some dinner and used the internet before getting an early night ready for are bus journey tomorrow to Luang Prabang .