February 19, 2007
Rest Day Vang Vieng: Float the Nam Song River
Today is a rest day, so we don't get up until 6:30am and go for breakfast at the "Organic Fram" (the sign spells farm this way) Restaurant. After breakfast we return to the internet cafe to do more research about the rumored "hot spring" with bungalows 20km north of Kasi. We see a picture of the springs, and postings about having lunch there...we are thinking of making that our destination the next cycling day. We may take 2 rest days here in Vang Vieng.
After breakfast we take a walk to the bridge over the river to get closer to some of the mountains; there is a charge to see one of the caves and we decide to return to town to do errands. Patrick goes to find information about the tubing "cartel" and Rachel looks for a long-sleeved top. She finds a store that has tents, we'd thought about buying a tent until we get our supplies in China.
For lunch we return to the "Organic Fram" Restaurant and decide to get ready to go tubing. This is quite the process and slow. Each person fills out a form and signs, then a corresponding number is marked with a magic marker on the hand. We all pile into a tuk tuk with the giant tubes loaded on the roof. We are driven 1.5km out of town and dropped off having to walk a little way to the river. The sign at the office indicated the river run takes 2 hours.
Soon we set off, the river at first has a nice current. We pass the first of the "Beer-Jumps" in the river from a high point swing...Patrick hears music from Boney M... Rivers of Babylon. The river is lined with these places. Some have a zip line with a plunge into the river. Some look scary. We make our way down the river without stopping. We only stop moving on the river sometimes....and we have to paddle. We interlock our feet to stay together and paddle with our hands.
The 2 hours turns into 4 hours...and we are ready to get off the river. The scenery is beautiful, and we are happy to have done this touristy backpacker thing to do.
For dinner we go for the Pizza and Salad, Patrick orders a tomato soup that never arrives, even when we saw the woman leave and come back with supplies of tomatoes and onion. The TV has an Indiana Jones movie going.
We decide not to stay another day, so we go back to the room to start packing.
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