A Long Drive Through The Mountains

The good news is we have a private bus — the bad news is it's one hell of a potholed, dusty and swerving road. We set out for Vang Vieng early in the morning for what will be a seven hour ride. Upon leaving the Luang Prabang city limits, the steep climb begins into the mountains and our driver begins to sway the bus from side to side in order to avoid potholes, cattle, roosters, scooters, trucks — you name it, he was avoiding it.




It made for a bouncy, nauseating and yet fascinating ride in the back as we entered some of the most beautiful terrain we've seen in Laos. Up in the mountains is the domain of the Mhong hill tribe and we have a great perspective to view, not only the wild landscape, but their villages and sparse way of life as we rumble past.
















We look out the window, doze and try to read a bit more about Laos. A former French colony, it was occupied by the Japanese during WWII before the French once again reoccupied in 1945. In 1949, the French began to cede more control to the government established in Vietiane. It was not a smooth transition and after years of various groups struggling for power, the Pathet Lao, a rigid socialist regime, declared the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975. It is this party that still rules today. Years of food shortages and refugees fleeing to Thailand eventually forced the Laos government to change tactics, opening up the country in the late 1980's to investment and tourism.

During the Vietnam war, the U.S. dropped more bombs on Laos than they did during the entirety of WWII. Their target was the North Vietnamese, who were using the Ho Chi Mihn Trail to run supplies from Laos into southern Vietnam. The result was a large decimated section of the country, wiped clear by bombs and herbicides (to kill all the foliage and food supply) and resulting in untold civilian causualties. Today, there are still thousands of unexploded bombs buried in the ground. They are rarely a problem for tourists who stay on regular routes, but they still cause deaths and injuries to the locals who continue to farm the land.

We roll into Vang Vieng around 4:00 p.m. Our guesthouse tonight is a bit of a comedown after our deluxe digs in Luang Prabang. Functional would be the word for it. Put it this way — our sleeping sheets come back out.



Dinner is in town at the Veggie Table where we order pumpkin burgers and fries. It is clear from the get-go that Vang Vieng is a party town, filled with twenty-something foreigners here to tube down the river and drink 'buckets' at the riverside bars. We'll get a look at the zaniness tomorrow when we kayak down the river and do some cave exploring.

But for now, it's time to upload the blog at Oh-La-La, which should be Oh-Lai-Lai we think ("Kop Chai - Lai Lai" means "Thank you - very very much" and the more "Lai Lai's" you add...the more thankful you are!). We watch the tubers roll back from the river in tuk tuks with their tubes loaded on the top. Lots of loud laughter and squeals and swaggering about. Yeah, it's a party scene alright...

This fellow is the bane of my existence in the morning... darn noisy rooster....