Bus Ride from Hell goes through Vang Vieng

The most stomach churning bus ride I have ever been part of, took seven hours from Luang Prabang through the mountains to Vang Vieng. Everyone on board had nausea and most lay down the better part of the way on what turned out to be an experience none of us ever want to partake in again.  More switchbacks than a rattler in the Mojave Desert. Dirt roads, rattling, banging, up and down for what seemed an eternity. However, for our reward we ended up in Vang Vieng which turned out to be a beautiful and picturesque setting in the mountains by the clear and calm Song River.  Unfortunately it also turned out to be a backpackers haven for a most unsavoury group of young drunkards and half clothed young men and women with absolutely no respect for the local culture or customs. What was even more surprising was that the local communist authorities were nowhere to be seen and turned a blind eye to open drugs and promiscuity. Their mothers would not have been pleased.

However, the next day we managed to have a wonderful and most enjoyable outing. After renting mountain bikes for about $4 for the day, we set out to discover some of the local caves and in our travels came across a wonderful swimming hole by the name of Blue Lagoon. A welcome dip after a very warm and rough ride on our bikes was just the ticket. This was followed by a lovely lunch in a restaurant, built on stilts over a pond and operated by a community outreach group. The vegetable soup I had and the Tom Yam which Jennifer chose were extremely tasty and a feast to the eyes upon presentation. The ride back along the river with the mountains in the distance was magical.  Grilled fish in a local eatery, washed down with a large Laobeer and followed by a banana pancake with Nutello on the street was a fitting ending to an active and rewarding day.

Today we were back on the bus for another four hour journey to Vientiane. Not quite as bad as yesterday, but we should never complain about Quebec roads again. If this country wants to grow it’s tourism industry then they better put some money into infrastructure. A few hours walking around the city was interesting. Being back in civilization and regardless of the bus trip, we were extremely glad to have seen the countryside, it’s people and the hardships they have to endure to realize how lucky we really  are.