Post #12 Vang Vieng

Day 17 1063 days to go. It’ s 8.30pm Saturday the 17/12/2011 and I’ve had my sunset and stroll fix around town. It’s a party town that’s for sure. Tubing seems like the biggest fad with lots of backpackers being bused out to the drop off with their tubes and lots of alcohol on board – they then float down the Nam Song River which Vang Vieng is situated on. Local cafes sell buckets of alcohol literally and advertise special happy pizzas and shakes. Me I’m saddling up to a dinner of bananas, cheese triangles, marmalade, condense milk and ovalteen. I’ve been bargain shopping for some cravings and found a loaf of bread awesome!!!!! I found a great spot by the river on a wooden ramp leading down to one of the flash restaurants to perch myself and dangle my feet to watch the sunset. It really is a jaw dropping location with the sun setting between the karst mountain background – pretty spectacular stuff It seams like most shops are a food outlet of some sorts with at least half of them offering accommodation from 60000to 80000kip so Ive done well – the rooms big and clean and the shower hot perfect – plus the stairwell goes up onto the roof so I’ll be up there shortly for some people watching. Dinner was fabulous ok so the condense milk was a bit much but hey my dad always said that condense milk sandwiches were pretty good and he was right. I’ve had a craving for white bread for the last day and yup awesome delish num num. On the streets there’s stalls selling pretty much the same sort of stuff – Baguettes with an assortment of fillings from banana and Nutella to meats and salads (10000 to 25000kip) Then there’s banana pancakes being made on a side hotplate (15000kip) 1 Aust $ is about 800kip. With the amount of restaurant cafes and street venders there’s so many just sitting mostly empty. You wonder how the locals make any money. Even like the stalls selling a few items all have the same things: pepsi, crisps, biscuits, wafers, toilet paper, cigarettes, and beer of course 750ml bottles that people walk around with drinking like a tally mmmmmm class. Anything much more than this and it becomes a rare specialty. I told you I have a supermarket fettish. Well I found this great shop that sells heaps of other stuff from muesli to mars bars all out of budget range but fun to browse. Sad hey but far more interesting than bucket booze and drunken chicks in bikinis eeeeeeek. Very untidy. it was like christmas hence the dinner spread. I’ll see what I want to do in the morning if I feel like checking out the mountains around. It’s otherwise good for a brief look but town wise there’s little else that’s grabbing my attention. I did read there’s some caves nearby that sound pretty cool. We’ll see. For now it’s time for the roof and a quick check-out before bed. Night! x Ps my rooms far to close to a karaoke bar somewhere far too near mmmmmm earplugs awesome yay.

Day 18 1062 days to go   Unfortunately the earplugs werent hard core enough to block out the hard core party goings and shaggers during the night.  Let’s just say Im happy to be heading today. I’m a bit tired but the next two days to Phonghong (72km) and Vientiane (81km) aren’t too scary distances.  It’s actually quite a cool way to move through your day literally and I love that I never know what’s around the corner.  Ive had a sleep in this morning pampered Rubes, read up a bit of troubleshooting and servicing front and rear dehraylers (gear systems on bikes) and all good to head next post from Vientiane I suggest.  I uploaded the photos and post from last night enjoy the photos they’re pretty awesome but don’t capture the actual expanse of it that you look out over – it’s a very cool plave location wise – There are bungalows on the other side of the river that look very honeymooney and pampering and there could be worst places to honeymoon then here for young Aussie newlyweds.  Off to enjoy the days travel.  PS thought of something else I could include in my posts – Ks travelled for the day then Ks in total – I won’t go back an update but Ill start next post and that’ll give me some time to do the math so far.  I’m also adding up the things I have lost grrrrrrrr and not very happy about either – There’s a real heightened sense of protection for my gear that’s looking after me but still some things have gone astray: little headtorch (thank goodness I brought two), spork, No 5 Allen key (have a spare but not so manageable bugga – it’s one of the main key sizes), my sunnies have cracked in the top corner so they’re being held by the saviour of saviours gaffa tape.  That’s about it!  Talk soon x