After having complicated travels to get to Vang Vieng, Laos from Chiang Mai, Thailand (10 hours on a van to the border, 1 hour on a full tuk-tuk [google for more information], 3 hours on a sleeper bus [probably the best part of the traveling until it broke down in the rain], another hour on a packed coach bus), we finally arrived to a spring breaker's paradise. Although it was probably the poorest place we've visited thus far, everyone knew English, and the population was all tourists--even bar owners were none Lao. The most intriguing part of Vang Vieng for travelers in southeast Asia is their bar scene along the river. For people who know western Jersey, floating the Delaware is a common past time in the summer months--imagine floating down the Delaware that is lined with bars on either side, and getting reeled in like fish from the workers casting rope for you to grab on to so you don't miss their bar. Now imagine that in a spring break atmosphere where everyone is half naked drinking and partying, playing beer pong at the bars, getting free shots for just showing up, and blue permanent marker tattoos promoting bars to go to later at night, not to mention zip lines and massive slides into the river. Tall boy beer cans are about four dollars and lao whiskey filled buckets costing about eight dollars. That pretty much sums up Vang Vieng.
2 days wasn't enough to fully enjoy the atmosphere but only get a taste, wanting to come back possibly later in the trip. The streets are lined with restaurants with menus almost as large as the cheesecake factory's with food from American burgers to Thai noodles and soup; some restaurants even have "special menus" with mushrooms and marijuana and opium shakes, cakes, bags, joints, although illegal to consume in Laos (500 dollar fine if you get caught by undercover police). There are also street vendors selling baguettes filled with anything you want making it for you on the spot. Another attraction was that every restaurant there had nice flat screens playing Friends on repeat. After talking to other travelers, they really enjoyed relaxing during breakfast watching almost 2 hours worth of Friends--I didn't remember/realize how funny that show actually was.
Being one week into the 4 week hiatus, I realize that Americans for some reason don't have the luxury to travel for months at a time. Every American we met (not many by any means compared to none-Americans) have noted the same--4 Weeks seems to be a maximum at any given time if your working. As for the others we met, they have been traveling for months almost a year. Maybe it's the American culture to first live to work, then work to live, that limits the vacation time allotted. Regardless another vacation is warranted to visit places we haven't had time to go to where other travelers raved about.
The trip to Vang Vieng was cut short because we have to get to southern Thailand (party capital of Thailand filled with amazing islands and beaches--not a bad trade off I'd you ask me) to go on a scheduled live aboard diving cruise/pirate ship in the similan islands-a group of islands located about 40 km off the western coast of southern Thailand, where they say the average water temperature is 28-30°C. Definitely looking forward to that and the rest of southern Thailand. After the dive cruise, Kho Tau *sp* is next on the agenda. As of now I am hoping my Giants won the superbowl as its almost noon here on Monday (midnight of superbowl Sunday back home).
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