July 30, 2018 to July 31, 2018
Tubing Days in Vang Vieng
The question would be: tubing, on or off? Well the first day it was off. If anyone would know the situation, it would be the guys at the Smile Bar. You can of course walk to this bar which is where everyone takes their tubes and then returns them at a nearby collecting station. The guy said no tubing today because of the strong current. But he added something interesting, he said "They stopped it because many of the Koreans can't swim."
I hung my head at that remark because it proved how things have changed considerably in this town. In the past they wouldn't have cared, but now the clientele has changed they have to think of these safety things. As I sat there on the hammock reminiscing about the lost opportunities, it became crystal clear that from now on I will double down on my efforts to plunge into opportunities when they arise. As they say, fear is temporary, regret is forever. There were chances in the mid-2000s when I cycled through here and didn't tube during the heyday because of chickening out. That particular opportunity won't come again, but there will be other different ones in future I'll be sure not to miss.
As if in answer to that resolution, a small step forward came about when a couple in a tuktuk asked me randomly if I wanted to join them on a ride to the lagoon. Sure why not. At the lagooon I spied a 20-foot tree atop the lagoon where everyone was jumping into. It's a small thing but I still got scared about jumping and when looking down thought of all the reasons why this couldn't be done. But it was the Koreans who encouraged me and said just jump, so I did and it was fun and not a big deal at all.
Later of course it was the Sakura Bar but in keeping with this theme, the Viva Pub would be next on the agenda, as this is the same owners who run the Viva Bar that was shut down on the tubing route.
The next day, it appeared the river levels were down significantly. Imagine my surprise when the tubing office was inflating a bunch of tires with the air compressor. Yes, it would be on! Well I pounced on that along with about 4 others who were probably the only customers all day. Needless to say it was epic, and the wait was worth it.
Today's ride: 20 km (12 miles)
Total: 589 km (366 miles)
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