SE ASIA - DAY 22 - VIENTIANE to VANG VIENG

December 08, 2017

SE ASIA - DAY 22 - VIENTIANE to VANG VIENG

I thought it is going to be an easy day just travelling 151km.

Despite that the weather forecast suggested that it will have light rain, I went ahead and move out right after 7.30am, thinking that I should be able to cover the distance quickly.

Google map claimed that it will take me 3.5 hrs, I wondered why initially until I started moving.

It took me like an hour just getting out of Vientiane, due to the morning peak hours.

After that, I got into mountainous area and the roads were terrible. Pot holes were everywhere and I have to maintain my speed at 50km/hr most of the time and still, I run into a few of the pot holes. Luckily, my tires were holding up strongly. While navigating through the pot holes, it started to drizzle.

Finally, I reach Vang Vieng at 11.30pm.

Many years back, Vang Vieng is just a small town.
Then, someone started a business by allow tourist to rent out tire tubes, sit on them and float down the Nam Song river. That's where it started a craze where tourist starts to get themselves drunk and party beside the river. Drugs were involved and people start dying when they zip-lined through some unsafe riverbanks when they are high and crack their skulls. Others drown during tubing while getting heavily intoxicated with alcohol. Finally in 2012, the Lao government put a stop to all these parties. Now, the place is much more controlled.

As usual, I only booked each of the hotel for one day and want to check out the condition of the hotel before extending. To my surprise, the entire hotel is fully booked for tomorrow. So I will need to switch to another hotel, sigh.

And they gave me a room at the top floor where they don't have a lift. I have to carry my luggage pannier all the way up 4 floors. On my way up, I saw lots of empty rooms with doors open, sigh.

Ok, did what I need to do and go out for lunch.

Passed by a local primary school.

See that they have small motorcycles for rental, maybe I should rent one tomorrow to explore around.
I can do it with my big bike but it's big, clumsy and not as agile as a small bike. Anyway, I have always been wanting to try out their local automatic scooters, 80k KIPS (SGD13.5) for a day.

Had this with Beer Lao, for total of 47K KIPS (SGD7.60).

Then I go walk around to explore what have they got here.
Saw quite a lot of people renting these 4 wheeler buggies. It's 600cc with automatic transmission.