Tubbing and Drinking...Two of the most fun things imaginable

getting ready to go
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If Luang Prabang is the cultural epicenter of Laos, than Vang Vieng would be it's polar opposite.

After a seven hour bus ride, complete with an armed guard toting an AK47, through the most windy mountain terrain imaginable we arrived at the Vang Vieng bus terminal/air strip.

We arranged a room for $3 a night in town (with a bathroom) that actually was not that bad.  Our traveling buddies got a room at the same place, but had to change guest houses that afternoon because their shower flooded their entire room, as well as the whole of the first floor.  It goes to show that when thrift shopping for rooms, it has as much to do with luck as it does with bargaining capability.

Top of the zip
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Vang Vieng is basically known for its bars that play episodes of Friends around the clock, its availability of any substance imaginable (also at bars), and its thriving tubbing operation (Just to clarify we partook in the tubbing and Friends, but left the other stuff to the others).

The tubing is quite possibly the sweetest setup that I have ever witnesses.  Basically, for four dollars each of you are given a tube and a ride up to the top of the river by a Tuk-Tuk.  You get in the tube and start to relax and before you know it you are entering what can only be described at an adult's Disney Land.  On either side of the river, for as far as you can see, are makeshift bars that have constructed even more makeshift scaffolding from which you either have the option of a rope-swing or zip-line into the water.  It is awesome!!!  Every bar sells large beers for about $1 each, and all you do is bar hop all the way down the river crossing your destination mostly by the size of their particular rope swing.  That's the whole thing!  Needless to say, our day was fun, long, and a bit hazy at the end...as was the next day.

Pete on the zip
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We toyed around with idea of doing the tubing a second day, but after the first we were hurting both inside and out.  We have decided to continue heading south to the capital of Laos, Vientiane, and then back across the river into Thailand so that we can catch a plane back to Bangkok to collect Alex from the airport.  We will report from Bangkok and then we will be heading down to the beautiful south.  Hope all is well, take care everyone.