Vang Viene

The travelers I met in Vientiane the evening before leaving for Vang Viene all summed my next stop as "a very difficult place to leave."

However upon arriving in Vang Viene I was disappointed. No other word sums up the town better than "tacky". It's got a plastic feel about it. The streets are built on a grid system and they are paved with stores, flashy internet cafes, pancake vendors and TV bars all showing Friends re-runs. If you walk down the road you can hear about 3 different episodes of Friends in the background. I wonder what Jennifer Aniston would say about that!

But as you look past the town - which really is very tiny - one main road and 3 off-roads, you are struck by the awesome mountains that surround it. The mountains seem to layer over one another so that those in the distance seem to be a shadow of those upfront. It is truly spectacular.

I was fortunate enough to meet a gang of real Actionados on the VIP bus to Vang Vien. There were 4 in the group - Emma and Claire, the twins both from France living in London and Singapore respectively. And Lola from Italy, and Ben both living in London. They were all a bit older than me but their energetic spirit attracted me to them immediately. And to be honest, they kind of adopted me too which was nice. I had had a recommendation to "cross the bamboo bridge to the other side of the river for accommodation." After seeing the ghastly town we all agreed that we would act upon this advice and seek something which would hopefully make up for the disgrace of the main town.

So we crossed the bridge. My pack now weighing a hefty 18 KGs in the mid-day sun, it was tough. But so, so worth it.
We arrived at Maylyn Guest House. Tucked away amidst corn fields and along the bank of a little stream with the most beautiful tropical garden. It was such a find! The guest house is run by Joseph - an Irish/London/Australian and his wife Won. They have been running it for 7 years. We checked into wooden bungalow-type rooms which were so beautiful, clean and homely.

And then the action was ON!!! Action Gang (i.e me + the group I was with as we will now be known) was ready for a walk in no time. We did a few kilometers to the nearest caves where we where met by a guide who led us inside. Our guide was about 6 years old, and he was the cutest boy I have ever seen. It was not the most impressive cave, but a nice introduction to one of the many we'd see over the next few days and a good lesson to remember to carry a torch at all times.

We then took a walk through the fields, said hello to the cows. The first thing that struck me is just how healthy the cows are compared to the skeletal cows I'd seen in India. Turns out the cows in Laos are a cross breed between the Brahman cows from India and the local Laos cows. They are not as visible as they are in India. Most reside on the plush fields and past their days grazing whereas the cows in India reside on the busy streets and pass their days rummaging for any bits of food they can find in the rubbish piles.

After our time in the fields we decided to go swimming in the Nam Song River that runs through Vang Viene. This is the waterway that separates the town from the "other side" - where we were staying. In the evening the river is packed with locals either taking a bath or collecting the river Algae - which is eaten in a lot of Laos food.

That evening we tucked into a dinner made at the guest house - arguably the best food in Vang Viene. I had their delicious Tom Yum soup. Wow. The food in Laos is definitely the best I have had anywhere in the world. I think it's the most agreeable with me!

The rest of the time in Vang Viene followed pretty much the same course. Action gang was together for day 2 which was super. We spent the morning walking the 6km route to the Ponsavan Cave. This is a cave that holds a Budha statue inside it where monks go to pray. The walk to the cave was easy enough along a dirt road, but the heat was exhausting. When we finally arrived we were so pleased to find the beautiful "Blue Lagoon" - a river that is surrounded by magnificent flora and has crystal blue waters flowing through it. After a refreshing dip, Action Gang decided to brave the cave.

Getting up to the cave is literally an 80 degree mountain climb. There is no help, bar a bamboo rod here and there that you can use to leverage yourself. I of course was wearing a lovely skirt -- I don't do shorts -- but managed, as I had wisely put on some decent climbing shoes (read: trainers - the rest had pro- mountain shoes on!).

The climb is tough but so worth it. When you enter the mouth of the cave you are immediately struck by the enormous hollow created by dripping limestone rock. The cave has a serene air about it that is heightened when you lay your eyes upon the reclining, gold Budha statue. It is so peaceful and calm to be in that presence. We were fortunate enough to bear witness to a few monks dressed in their bright orange robes making an offering to the Budha when we arrived. The offering usually consists of incense sticks and the most intricate flower arrangements. Banana leaves are woven into spikes and then bright orange marigold flowers are pinned onto the spikes. They are really unusual but so beautiful.

Action Gang was keen to climb up and around the limestone formations. I was a little nervous but decided to go along with it. This was also tough, but again, so worth it. I was so pleased to have met up with such a "go for it" group...it was great. We went up and down and through the entire cave. Action Gang - we were up for anything!

After the climb down the mountain - of course I was the last one down, we went for another swim and then Action Gang was ready to head out to Adventure Part II. Tubing.

Tubing down the Nam Song River is the most popular thing to do in Vang Viene. Over the years, the Laos people have cottoned on that the white man loves nothing more than the combination of sun, water and of course beer. So all along the river you are offered "BEER LAOS, BEER LAOS" by young boys who throw the bottles at the backpacker crowed who are keen to get them down. The river also has a few bars along it playing the latest music where some tubers stop to "rest"(read: drink and pull). To be honest, I was not that keen to participate in this activity. I must be getting old....argh! I was actually quite put off by all the lager louts doing their thing in such an otherwise peaceful and beautiful environment. I was particularly irate when I witnessed a few boys throw empty beer bottles into the river. Not good at all.

That said, it was great to go down the river and parts of it are still pretty natural, although I think in years to come it might all be ruined.

After tubing we hit one of the many spas in Vang Viene. I opted for an hour oil massage. Wow. It was pretty hardcore, but good. After a lot of thumping and stretching I left feeling quite exhilarated. Although I was laughing at the end, and managed to get the masseur to laugh too when he was doing the "stomach massage"!

The rest of my time in Laos followed pretty much the same course. The next day I unfortunately had a lot of admin to do which took up most of the morning, but I spent the afternoon cycling out to the next village. I saw:
- lots of satellite dishes alongside bamboo huts
- stalls selling the evening meal of BBQ chicken, fish, pork on bamboo sticks, or soup
- kids cycling home holding umbrellas to shade themselves from the hot sun
- groups of men playing cards
- men weaving baskets
- a beautiful red sunset against a silhouette of a mountain


I spent the next day doing a trek with an organised group of people up to another cave. The group was great -- I met a couple of South African gals -Lyndie, who has been living in Morrocco for 10 years and Libya for 2 and Nicky, who has been in Cape Town. Both were on a world tour for a year! I spent the next couple of days with them which was great. I also met an English guy, Chris in his 30's who was on holiday in Laos and was using the time to have a good think about his future.

It seems a lot of people I have met are taking a break from life. Stepping out of their routine and taking time to think and plan their next move. It's so inspiring to learn what these people are getting from their trip, and to hear about their experiences.

The group trek was probably a highlight. We eventually arrived at a cave which we were lead into for a few meters in a tube! We sat in our tubes and slowly floated into the cave. It was such fun. It felt like you were nearing the center of the earth. We were lead by a really Witty Laos guide called Noam. He told us a tragic tale of a Canadian who had gone into the cave alone, and had never come out. He died as his torch failed on him and he didn't have a spare.

We visited a few caves after that - another beautiful cave with a Budah at its entrance. And then Noam led us on a long walk where we were collected and taken to the river. From the river we kayaked all the way back into town.

I spent my last day in Vang Viene with Lyndie and Nicky. We went back to the Blue Lagoon, although this time we walked there and back. Getting back was tough - I left a little earlier and the walk felt so long. But it was a great opportunity to observe village life and watch people coming back from work or school. Life in Laos is so simple. The people do not have much but they seem so happy. It is so wonderful being in this type of environment where people really take it easy and focus on enjoying what they have. It is inspiring. I also love the way the parents treat the children. They are all so loved and cared for. And the kids are so, so cute....my broodyness is returning!!! That evening we had another meal at Maylyn of BBQ fish. Wow. River fish is delicious. We also spent some time talking to Joseph, the guy that runs the guest house. He was really interesting and shed some light on current Laos politics, and Laos culture.

It was sad to say goodbye to the gals. We had a good time together, and of course it was great that they knew where I came from. I will probably see them again...later.....

I loved Vang Viene in the end. It is a beautiful, peaceful part of the world. A place where you can truly relax and enjoy nature. I really found it difficult to leave.