Alana's Gallery :: To Vang Vieng

To Vang Vieng

8 images in this album

Album: Asia2005

The road from Luang Prabang to Vientiane used to be impassable due to bandits, but the alternative was flying Lao Airlines (whose Yuen aircraft were known for their crash habits). The road has since improved, so we had a chartered minibus from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, stopping overnight at Vang Vieng. The first three hours were on narrow twisty mountain roads. Our driver was prone to sudden, lurching stops before the many potholes, but at least we never fell off the unfenced edge into the vast chasm of death. I was vomiting by the end, but comparatively lucky.

The road was rougher than this movie would indicate.

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But the scenery was spectacular.

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This was only the second Lao person I saw with a guitar. Otherwise, this roadside stop was typical: DVD sales, noodle shop, Beer Lao ads, plastic chairs.

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Oh look at the cute hen & chicks! We probably ate their aunt for lunch, or at least the hen's eggs. Free range and probably organic.

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The view from the back of the noodle shop.

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This mountain makes Vang Vieng worthwhile.

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Here's where we stayed in Vang Vieng. I stayed upstairs in my room to sleep off the gastrointestinal distress. Others went biking to caves or kayaking.

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For some reason, each Lao guesthouse had a different bad translation of the rules for tourists.

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Gallery: Alana's Gallery

Album: Asia2005

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