What do you get when you cross an American Christian, two Israeli Jews, and a half-Palestinian German guy on inner tubes? Give up? My very unique trip down "Beer Laos"...
The city of Vang Vieng in north-west Laos is a rather small town. Looking at a map of the region, one would quickly pass by this seemingly mundane town located on the country's Song River. Well, instead of passing by, we met a few travellers who insisted that we stopped in Vang Vieng for the "tubing." We caught a local (read: slow and cramped, yet cheap) bus from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, after an overnight bus from Bangkok. Arriving at the bus stop (read: a dirt field), we grabbed our bags and set off into the heart of the city.
With some luck, we found a great little guesthouse overlooking the river, with its own little personal island complete with hammocks and cheap beer. After posting up for the remaining few hours of daylight by the river, we wandered the town in the evening. Likely 20 restaurants filled with tourists each had tables with cushions, where the patrons were watching the most unusual of shows: Friends, Family Guy, Simpsons, and new American movies... a bit odd, but refreshing at the same time.
Waking up early the next morning (read: 9 am... early!), we paid a few bucks to a local tuk tuk driver, who brought us to a spot up the river and provided us with inner tubes. We hopped on, floated for awhile in the refreshing water under the warm Laotian sun, until we came to the first stop: a zip line. When you buy a beer you are able to use the line as often as you want. Fantastic! We floated on, until we heard bad techno music in the distance. This bar had an enormous rope swing dropping you maybe 25 or 30 feet into the water. For you lawyers reading this... if Laos had U.S. liability laws, you could all be filthy rich!
We met up with a few cute Australian women our age, and others latched on to our floating group as we proceeded. At some point, the group split, and to my disappointment I was stuck with a bunch of guys. As many of you know, I have a tattoo on my back meaning "peace" in Arabic, which I got when in Lebanon when I was studying in the region. One of the guys floating in the group noticed the tattoo, and commented that he read some Arabic... since he was Israeli. We start talking a bit, and then his other two friends come over, another Israeli Jew and his best friend a half-Palestinian German guy. We chat for quite awhile about the Middle East, Ariel Sharon, Arabic pop music that I know, and other random topics, and then go our separate ways at the end of the river.
Unfortunately, the cute Australian women were gone, but I had quite an unforgettable experience floating down Beer Laos...
The city of Vang Vieng in north-west Laos is a rather small town. Looking at a map of the region, one would quickly pass by this seemingly mundane town located on the country's Song River. Well, instead of passing by, we met a few travellers who insisted that we stopped in Vang Vieng for the "tubing." We caught a local (read: slow and cramped, yet cheap) bus from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, after an overnight bus from Bangkok. Arriving at the bus stop (read: a dirt field), we grabbed our bags and set off into the heart of the city.
With some luck, we found a great little guesthouse overlooking the river, with its own little personal island complete with hammocks and cheap beer. After posting up for the remaining few hours of daylight by the river, we wandered the town in the evening. Likely 20 restaurants filled with tourists each had tables with cushions, where the patrons were watching the most unusual of shows: Friends, Family Guy, Simpsons, and new American movies... a bit odd, but refreshing at the same time.
Waking up early the next morning (read: 9 am... early!), we paid a few bucks to a local tuk tuk driver, who brought us to a spot up the river and provided us with inner tubes. We hopped on, floated for awhile in the refreshing water under the warm Laotian sun, until we came to the first stop: a zip line. When you buy a beer you are able to use the line as often as you want. Fantastic! We floated on, until we heard bad techno music in the distance. This bar had an enormous rope swing dropping you maybe 25 or 30 feet into the water. For you lawyers reading this... if Laos had U.S. liability laws, you could all be filthy rich!
We met up with a few cute Australian women our age, and others latched on to our floating group as we proceeded. At some point, the group split, and to my disappointment I was stuck with a bunch of guys. As many of you know, I have a tattoo on my back meaning "peace" in Arabic, which I got when in Lebanon when I was studying in the region. One of the guys floating in the group noticed the tattoo, and commented that he read some Arabic... since he was Israeli. We start talking a bit, and then his other two friends come over, another Israeli Jew and his best friend a half-Palestinian German guy. We chat for quite awhile about the Middle East, Ariel Sharon, Arabic pop music that I know, and other random topics, and then go our separate ways at the end of the river.
Unfortunately, the cute Australian women were gone, but I had quite an unforgettable experience floating down Beer Laos...
2 comments:
aren't people the best you can meet on the way?
take care!
I'll bet you're really missing your old job about now :)
u rock man! keep up the great writing and traveling. do something you've never done before today! for me :)!!
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