The Walker MegaMoon: Laos

Vang Vieng is in the West side of Central Laos, a beautiful almost magical place. The river in the bottom surrounded by the traditional huts of the local communities, all enclosed by wooded mountains.

Right in the middle is the Lao equivelant of Ibiza!!! A party town full of western travellers, the streets are wall to wall hostels and bars, showing 'Friends' and 'Family Guy' on continuous loops. The beer is cheap and the food is cheaper. If you want a burger and fries, you have found the place.

While we were here, we also found the rain.

However, only a moment away from the town, the beautiful landscape once again prevails (once you have crosses a rickety bridge or two that is).

The farming here is rich,

the houses basic,

and the mountains were stunning.

We walked up the waterways in the heat of the morning,

and gloried at the wonderful views.

The river was a constant, and was starting to fill as the rainy season continued.

Finally we arrive at our destination for the morning.

A cave with a river running through it - but first we needed head torches.

You can just see the tiny entrance.

Oh yes - we also needed a big inflatable tube to cruise through the cave.

Goodbye sunshine!

Before long we were deep inside and able to enjoy the calm of the cave.

It was a little cold, but great fun.

We returned to sunlight once again.

A little further to walk to find another cave.

The slippy slope down.

Yes, another Buddha cave. They have tonnes of them in Laos, used as temples but also to ward off the evil spirits that can live in the depths of the dark caverns.

These stalactites were like a musical instrument, producing a echoey drones of different picthes when hit.

On our cave throne.

Back out, the big Buddha was eerily silhouetted.

Yes another Buddha cave. (It is fair to say we are over the Buddha caves now!).

Our afternoon activity was a 16km kayak down the river. I had been promised that the river was easy to paddle but I was unsure as we reached the river. I had not been in a kayak since an unpleasant incident 10 years ago, but I was so so determined to pulverise those demons.

Downstream, we had been paddling for 2 or so hours and, although I had some very nervous moments on a couple of rapids, I was extremely pleased that all the old skills came naturally back and I actually enjoyed it. The river was incredibly beautiful as we paddled down between mountain-lined banks and passed traditional fishermen. The only major event was the thunderstorm we were caught in. The rain was so torrential that visibility was down to the front of the boat. We stopped here at the start of the famous 'tubing run' to visit the Organic Mulberry Farm.

As I say the farm was opposite the start of the tubing. This was the reason for all the travellers to Vang Vieng, as it was the best place to sit in a big tube and float down the river. All the way down bars selling cheap beer and playing very, very loud music entice the tubers inside. It is so weird, as two minutes upstream we had been paddling through traditional villages and quiet farmland. Hitting this wall of noise is like finding a nightclub on top of a mountain. We decided against the tubing run and decided to kayak the last 4kms back to Vang Vieng. It did look fun as we passed the revellers with their buckets of beer floating carelessly down the river only stopping off for refills and to enjoy one of the many swings, jumps and slides.

The organic farm had really suffered from the bars, mainly due to the crazy level of noise. I can totally see their reason for being annoyed. Maybe it's because I am getting older, but the area around Vang Vieng is so beautiful that it is a shame that most tourists only ever see the tubing stretch. Then again the town must make a fortune from it so, c'est la vie!