Post #11 – Vang Vieng

Day 17 1063 days to go It’s 3.40pm Saturday the 17/12/2011 in Vang Vieng 60km from Kasi. Sai bai dii from me It’s 3.40pm Saturday the 17/12/2011 in Vang Vieng 60km from Kasi. Sai bai dii from me hellllo!!!!! I would love 1000 kip for every sai bai dii I have exchanged over the last week. Awesome!! As my load pretty much ends there I have taken to adding a mouthful of compliment to the receiver usually children like “hello there beautiful ladies, handsome man, bare bottom, superman (t-shirt), put some pants on, etc etc, It’s out of my mouth before I know it and the funny thing is that the kids yell whatever it sounds like to them back at me. I literally laughed out loud today when I knee high bare bottom yelled something like ‘pud-dum-pan-zon’ I had the most fabulous sleep last night and woke this morning with my tummy feeling much better – I’ve had a bit of a bug thing for the couple of days somewhat opposite the problems initial starchy problems with the rice noodles – talk about extremes – anyway…. I was a bit sluggish today but happy to low key peddle it into Vieng Vang. Its karst country and the scenery jagged limestone cliffs apparently the caves are well worth exploring and ‘tubing’ or rafting with a tire tube down the river is the thing for backpackers. I might give that one a miss good luck to them. However sunset here is supposed to be incredible so Ill head out and find a good posy to take it in and some shots. Photos from the last few days are being uploaded as I type – I should have asked the policeman for a photo before he sent me on my way to safety 😉 The country is otherwise low lying amongst the peaks and rice fields, grazing buffalo, orange groves and river life seem the themes first impression. Temples are appearing again – I stopped at an amazing one about 20km from town – Elevated up a ridge above the town it looked great with the mountains in the background and a picture perfect spot for lunch. I started this morning packing up then headed down to the markets. Each town seems to have one where the locals sell their produce and food stalls for whatever meal of the day. This morning it was rice noodles which I so partial to I’m turning into a noodle – I’m a noodle – I’m a noodle – Opps back again – a butterfly moment from the heat today I think – I’m sitting here absolutely dusted I can crunch on dust still in my mouth – The road for the last 30km was mostly unsealed and rocky and my brain is still rattling – Ruby hated it so I told her I’d give her some attention later after she has a kip poor darling – She had the worst squeak in the front tire from the dust I suggest and her gears are slipping somewhat from all the loaded hill climbs she has done – I’ll see if I can tighten her gear cables otherwise there’s supposedly a bike repair place somewhere near the markets – That’ll be me later on after taking in the sunset – Ill do a wonder and check out the town – It’s a real hippy place with a bit of a hard core backpacker party atmosphere – notorious for cocaine and marijuana and tubing and famous for its sunset, hot air ballooning over the karst peaks and cave exploration. One of the cyclist I met said it’s definitely earplug sleeping with partying til late. I’m not sure the layout of the town as yet the internet café is right next door to where I’m staying and I came straight here – It’s the cheapest place I’ve stayed at 40000 kip ($5.00) but really clean and I can take Rube inside which is great. I worked out a rough itinery for the rest of Laos this morning and I have another 17 days. It will take about 14 days of cycling to get to the Cambodia border and that leaves 3 days up my sleeve for incidentals or an extra stopover like Vientiane which is supposedly great to check out. Anyway off to clean up and find a posy for sunset – It’s so nice to have internet access again and feel in touch ps I apologise for the leaer glasses very ordinary look however they came out today afetr a bug fly right into my eye and stayed there just in time whilst I road througha herd of buffello mmmm.  Like a one eyed jacky I cycle through them and stopped to dig out the carcus in my eye nice.  Yesterday a wasp fly into my leg and in that moment found time to sting me how clever bugga bugga.  Anyway enough war-ies – Talk soon x