Vang Vieng

Some photos from around Vang Vieng...

This is "Lima Site 6". An old runway used by Air America (a CIA operation... I think).  I can't find much information about it. this seems to have the most info, but the comments claim some inaccuracies...

I'm staying in Sengdeuan Guest House and on the wikitravel page they say it's just down the road from "Kangaroo Sunset Bar". So I went walking around trying to find it but I couldn't see a sign up anywhere.

The yellow signs are for restaurants and bars

So using the yellow signs I was trying to find the Kangaroo Sunset bar. but I still couldn't see it anywhere. The wikitravel page made it sound quite close too. And I just happen to be walking back from the main area when I finally spotted it...

Ahhhhh... "Keng Kuru"! It was a bad translation!

And it was quite close to the guest house too!

I was trying to find this place as some other website mentioned that it was one of the few that didn't play Friends or Family Guy episodes constantly. I thought it was odd to point out the ones that didn't play either show, then I saw why. About 90% of all the bars actually do play endless Friends or Family Guy episodes. And people are in there watching them too. It's not like there's any variety of shows either, you only get Friends or Family guy, that's it. It was very odd walking around seeing people in one bar watch an episode of Friends, then next door they'd have more people watching a different episode. Some of them quite loudly. There's a couple of bars that weren't playing either, and they had soccer on instead, then I guess they go right back to one of the two required shows. And then there are very few without TV's. Very strange town...

Also, most places have "SPECIAL" menu items. Where you can get your magic mushroom pizza, or marijuana pizza, or shakes, or any other various food items they can hide them in. I was even reading about a Joint bar on the river for when you do tubing, where you get a free joint with every cocktail...

This is a very strange town.

Meanwhile, Beer! $4.88 of beer!

Sunset from Kangaroo Sunset Bar.

I also read that the local kids will try and steal things off you when you take the tubes down the river. They'll try to help you but run off with the tube (so you lose your deposit) or steal things from your waterproof bag while in the river.

And after reading that it makes me suspicious of why the disc lock on my bike was press right up against the forks on my bike. Someone has tried to move it last night... Better make sure there's nothing important that can be stolen off it tonight.

I went for a quick ride over the river today. Lots of 4wd tracks, mud, rocks, water crossings. I didn't take many photos but took some video, which I'm still editing.

At the end of the big loop. Big cliffs.

More big mountain cliffs.