Vangvieng

Vangvieng is full of rivers, mountains, waterfalls, and caves, and we had a blast bicycling, caving and tubing.

Laotian transportation is quite primitive (above).

So are the spear-fishing, lizard-catching, and dog-feeding operations.

One highlight was taking a long bike ride through the countryside, passing small farming villages overflowing with smiling children yelling “Sabaidee!!” (hello), and then cooling off in a river before exploring a cave.

We hit a snag when a crucial metal part of Keith’s bike broke in two.  The best efforts of our guide--and the entire village (see right)--could not overcome the lack a welding machine (or the proper spare part), so we had to hire a tractor to take the bike back.

Tubing was also a lot of fun.  You float down the river on inner tubes, and come across a makeshift bar roughly every five minutes. There, you can stop, have a beer, chill, chat, and jump into the river off a rope, ladder, or some other dangerous contraption.