Travel in Laos

I'm writing from Tha Kaek around central Laos. For the past two weeks or so I have been hanging out in Vientiane and Vang Viang. There isn't much to say about Vientiane other than some mice ate some of my pumpkin seeds and I watched a lot of live music. Vang Viang was absolutely great and I probably could have spent quite a bit longer there. My friend Nolan and I travelled to Vang Viang and found a nice bungalow that is close to the river and has a hammock out front, from which to view the karst mountains.

We did a lot of looking around in caves and trekking on some mountains both on and off paths. Then there was kayaking, tubing through a cave, and some rock climbing next to a river. The only downer is that there is a lot of haze due in part to the large amount of logging done in the area (slash and burn), and also a bit from locals burning their trash. The haze does allow a direct view of the sun as it sets, so that is a nice by product.

After realizing we had spent a week there and having only about two weeks left on our visa's we decided to leave and head to southern Laos, where we hear it is beautiful and the people aren't so apathetic toward tourists. I'll try to get some photo's online soon, but the city I'm in has only one internet cafe that I have found and it is not very fast; so it might be a week or so before I can upload some stuff.

Take Care

Inside 7km long cave

Stopping after realizing the cities in the guidebook

might not exist anymore because of a
dam built that flooded outlying areas (central Laos)

Sunset in Vang Viang (stayed on the other side of this bridge)

Did some tubing through this cave

Using One Speed Bicycles to travel in Vang Viang

Nolan sleeping while being flanked by buffalo

The sandbars on the Mekong at sunset

Some cave swimming

Inside a Cave

Top of a Mountain hut (took a nice nap here)