December 27, 2023
Dec 27th - Vang Vieng - River tubing
What's the popular thing to do in Vang Vieng you ask? Floating the river in inner tubes. No time like the present and I wasted no time signing up for this activity. We stopped at a bar not 5 minutes into the float. I don't drink, but the music was good and people included me even though I was solo. About 10 years ago there were about 40 bars on the river with rope swings, slides, etc. One year there were too many tourists who died so the government cracked down. Most of them were closed down. Still an activity, but maybe a little tamer from days gone by. At least now people aren't drowning on the river from being under the influcence of drugs and alcohol. I think Vang Vieng has gone a bit back to its roots and is not the anything goes drug and alcohol mecca it once was.
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As we were headed down the steps, I heard a rustle in the bushes next to the trail. Saw a brown snake slithering away and pointed it out to the others. Yikes! We returned to our tubes and headed back down. The current was a bit strong at times, and practically nonexistent at others. Some of us made a stop at a second restaurant. And when I say, "made a stop" we were all holding on to poles from a bridge across the river. The current was really strong so one of the waiters came and pulled us all in. Not sure that was in his job description 🤣
When we returned to the river, much to our dismay, the sun had dipped behind the mountains for a good portion of the remainder of our journey. Got a little colder! Sometimes the scenery was quiet and peaceful, sometimes restaurants lining the river blasting music was a little less peaceful. Anyways, I had fun and was a great first day in Vang Vieng!
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10 months ago