Vien Viang (or other such spellings!)

A road that would have been beautiful, or rather was beautiful but could have been enjoyed better if it hadn't been so nausea inducing, wound it's way to Vien Viang. We saw a stunning sunrise over hills that were draped with shrouds of wispy mist that hugged the valleys as we wound above them. Coming towards Vien Viang the landscape changed to beautiful and unusual 'lumpy' hills. That was what described them best to me but I think the more correct description for the formations is karst limestone! Very striking with hills jutting upwards steeply and almost suddenly from the flat land of the river valley.

I ended up in a boring guest house for the first two nights but then moved down to a place by the river (where I was headed the first day!!) It was really nice to sit out in the garden late at night and early in the morning listening to the sound of the river bubbling its way down past the bamboo bridge. "Some places are special because they are undiscovered and isolated. Other places still manage to retain something a little special, even when lots of people have 'found' ot. There aren't many around this morning which probably helps, but I think there is still a special vibe here".

I met up with a few 'boat people' from my two days down the Mekhong. That was fun. Some of us went tubing together - a tuktuk 4km up the river and then float back down on a tube. Because the river is low at the moment that took us about 2 hours. Unfortunately the sun decided to go behind cloud just as we got on the river so it ended up a bit cold, but fun and very beautiful anyway! I also met up with Lars, a friend I met in bangkok who was travelling through Laos the opposite direction to me. We hired a motorbike one day and headed up out the road towards Luang Prabang (though not nearly that far!). The scenery was beautiful and we passed through small villages with friendly kids waving; past people planting rice in paddy fields; a small boy washing clothes while his sister stood and held the wet clean clothes; tall, angular, forested hills; a school football match with proper strips and an alternative game with the little boys happening behind the goals; fathers carrying their babies; children with heavy packs on and a Yao village where the village of kids came out to smile, laugh, say hello and follow us.

The big news I got while I was here was that my brother Mark has just got engaged in the US and is getting married in Texas om June. He did apologise for screwing up my travel plans! The US was meant to be the following summer! Ah well - I wouldn't miss it for anything!

The rest of my time in VV was mostly chilling out by the river. Aimee needed some company as she tanned before heading home to England in a couple days! So I sat and looked white as she got visibly browner! There were also some great hammocks in the trees by the river - books, chat, beer Lao..... I stayed four days instead of the planned one. It put an end to the plans to go south but I had a good time and rushing it would have been a pity. There's always next time!