Feb 18, 2013 - Vang Vieng Day 2

Monday Feb 18 Vang Vieng 6k ride to some caves Had a great night sleep with the roll mat on top of the mattress. Breakfast at Mama Sababas, pancakes with pineapple, banana, choc syrup for Nickie. Eggs and bacon with salad and baguette for Pete. And great Lao coffee, it’s almost black but tastes rich and nutty, not bitter. Its Nickies favourite and we will think about posting some home for our new coffee machine . Tempting to have 2 cups, but that might be dangerous caffeine overload, for bike riding. We got talking with Stuart, a civil...

Feb 17, 2013 - Phoukhoun to Vang Vieng

Friday Feb 15 35km ride , 3hr 45 ride time. 30ks hitch on a ute to Phoukoun. A very fitful nights sleep as we were only metres from the road and the trucks rumbled past all night, if their brakes had failed we would be dead. Our “host” had very rowdy visitors and TV til 1.30pm, then the ‘man of the house” was a lumberjack snorer…..oh dear, even earplugs fail sometimes. However we were glad we stopped where we did as no room at the top of the hill. After about 3 ks of up and down and Nickie falling off her bike, (when trying to get back on...

Jan 20, 2013 - Vang Vieng

Up early. After breakfast we walked around the village. The house beside us is preparing for a wedding. We heard them up late preparing food. This morning they were setting up tables. It was a short drive to Vang Vieng. This village is set against a backdrop of dramatic limestone mountains along a bend in the Nam Song river. The area around it is very picturesque, with lots of caves to explore. Our hotel is near the Nam Song river. Our room is on the 4th floor overlooking the river and Lao Mountains. You can see the sheer limestone cliffs....

Jan 19, 2013 - Homestay in Naduang Village

Our Bus trip is only about 350 km but it took us 7 hours due to steep and winding roads through the Laos mountain ranges. Beautiful limestone cliffs along the way. A common sight was grasses drying at the side of the road that one day will make brooms. Children were seen carrying firewood on their backs. The hydro poles here are cement probably due to termites. The soil is very red and is used to make bricks for the local homes. Sometimes the road would be at the top of the mountain and you could see down either side of the mountain. So...

Jan 19, 2013 - Vang Vieng, Laos

Vang Vieng, Laos January 19, 2013 Saturday Day 10 of G I should have gone out earlier. The villagers were all about and had obviously been active for a while. Women were walking out of the village with empty baskets and men were coming back to the village with huge loads of dried brush. Many people were warming themselves next to fires in their yards. One old women invited me to join her but I politely declined, thanked her and moved on. I didn't think that it was particularly cold out and I was only wearing a tee shirt on top but maybe it...

Jan 18, 2013 - On the Road to Vang Vieng, Laos

On the Road to Vang Vieng, Laos January 18, 2013 Friday Day 9 of G I woke up this morning feeling much better. I'm still a tad under the weather but much better than yesterday. No new bug bites that I can see or feel. I'm even up to eating some bread this morning. I was out the door by 6 to see if I could get a better monk experience. I just walked around the corner from the hotel. The locals, about 6 of them, were all set up and waiting on their mat in the middle of the street. I was the only foreigner present. It was still too dark to get...

Jan 7, 2013 - Vang Vieng

I'm woken at dawn by what sounds like a race meeting combined with a rock concert next door and even the trusty roosters and wailing cats are struggling to compete. We breakfast on the side of street in the slight chill of the morning before the sun comes up over the amazing limestone karst mountains. The males decide on some tube caving while the women decide on a more leisurely agenda of walking to the local market, massage ($5per hr and so good) and a swim in the lagoon. We meet Kom for a late afternoon longboat ride down the Nom Sang...

Jan 7, 2013 - Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng We were awakened by the roosters of course and a radio that blared from 5 am on. We were going to go cave tubing but Eke had a very sore throat and decided to take it easy. Brian did go and really enjoyed his adventure. The trip to get to the caves was an adventure in itself. First we met at the tour company office which runs many tours in the area. Bruce, John and Brian got into the back of a 12 passenger tuk tuk with 13 other people. If you do the math you will discover that it was quite crowded. And confusing; We asked the...

Jan 6, 2013 - Vang Vieng

Today we have a long bus ride up and over the mountains and we are grateful that they have decided on hiring a private bus rather than us crowding in with the locals and their chickens on the public bus. We stop for lunch at a restaurant perched high on the hilltop at 2000m with spectacular views all round. Even the toilets have a spectacular view. Little groups of houses perch precariously between the road and steep precipices. Children and animals race around seemingly without a care as vehicles speed by. The crops, trees and burning...

Jan 6, 2013 - Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng

The long journey to Vang Vieng Our last morning in Luang Prabang being awakened by the monks hitting their gongs in a fast rhythm! Got up at 6.30am, did the regular routine and had breakfast in the garden. It’s cool in the mornings, overcast and probably 20 degrees C. or a little less. By 10am it is sunny and warm every day. At 8.30am we board our bus and start on the 7-8 hours drive through the mountains to Vang Vieng. Beautiful vistas, lots of photo opportunities, and driving through lots of small mountain villages. They are concentrated...

Nov 22, 2012 - Tropical Rain, kayaking & Flying to Laos

Hello from Laos I have had a very busy few days, with a few different weather changes. We took a risk on our second day in Hue and decided to do the motorbike tour, which started off amazing. I thought I would be scared driving around on the back of the bike but it is surprisingly safe, despite the manic way some of the people drive in the city. We all brought ponchos before the tour, which turned out to be an essential item, as it started to rain just after we set off. At first it wasn't to bad, we stopped at a village where we walked...

Nov 2, 2012 - Versackung in Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng

Wie der Titel schon sagt bin ich die letzten 10 Tage ein bisschen versackt! Das Städtchen ist so schön und entspannt, das man gar nicht merkt wie die Zeit vergeht! Eigentlich haben wir gar nichts großes getan.. meistens von einem Straßenrestaurant ins nächste, viel gelesen, abends ab und an mal gefeiert - wobei das gar nicht so leicht ist, weil um 11h30 überall alles zu macht, ein bischen weiter außerhalb gibt es dann noch eine komische Disco und ein Bowlingcenter.. Beim ersten mal feiern wollten wir weiterziehen und haben uns fürs Bowling...