The VIP bus ride from Laung Prabang to Vang Vieng was a bit of a nightmare, to say the least. I certainly didn’t feel like a Very Important Person. But that was to be expected. The road was in surprisingly good condition considering the mountainous terrain. I think it may have been fairly new, in which case I give it another year before it is complete shite. The ride was all curves and the driver, obviously a veteran of this route, was kicking ass and pulling G’s around some of the hairpins. So many G’s, in fact, that more than a few people actually became ill. Good thing I had my iPod, otherwise just the sound of them barfing into the plastic bags (provided by the Bus steward) would have made me puke as well. Shit, I’m sure I would have been master of ceremonies for VIP pukefest 2008.

Once we got into the valley I could see the relief on everyone’s face. I too was very relieved after five hours of constant curves and countless cliff faces. But we still had another two hours on flat land and, oddly enough, once we got to a straight shot, the road started to disintegrate and a couple times it just disappeared all together. And finally, the moment I had been waiting for and anticipating: the fracking bus breaks down. I just knew it would happen. One of the many rubber (fan type) belts snapped and took out some hoses on its way out. People told me later that it was very loud, but I wouldn’t have known because of the face-melting guitar solo that I happened to listening to at the time. So for me the bus just stops suddenly and starts filling up with strange-smelling steam, and then a guy who I thought was a passenger gets up from the back, where I am sitting, and pulls out an assault rifle from the overhead compartment. I thought, great, we are all going to be bargaining chips for the Hmong rebels and being that my country was responsible for training, then exploiting, then abandoning the Hmong people, I, the only American, will become their prize hostage.

Turns out the man wielding the rifle works for the VIP bus company and is the on-board mechanic/security guy. Or, I should say, when the bus breaks down this man is quick to fix it. He replaced the belt and hoses in less than twenty minutes. And he told me, as best he could, that the rifle is so that no passersby get the wise idea of switching professions from farmer to pirate.

Arriving in Vang Vieng was pretty exciting. The landscape is just amazing. I really love the hills or I guess they would be called plateaus. There are clusters of them climbing up out of the jungle and the trees and plants somehow find a way to climb up as well, thriving on a ridge or an impossible cliff face. I could stare at them for hours and I did. Unfortunately that was the only thing I did or wished to do in Vang Vieng. The backpackers seem to have taken a hold of Vang Vieng and this time I think they may of ruined it. The main attraction is tubing down the river, which is great if I were on the Colorado River, but on a river in a small town in Laos, it is just really odd. It is not the tubing itself that is odd or even the many bars that the Lao people opened on these river islands along the route; what’s odd is that the girls traipse back to town wearing only their bikinis. Lao town folk find bikini-clad women embarrassing, and I found myself becoming embarrassed as well. Don’t get me wrong, I would be all for it if I was in Miami or something. But this isn’t Miami. Thank goodness.

So anyway, I spent a day in Vang Vieng, checking out some caves and then I was on my way again. I took a bus down to the Lao capital, Vientiane, and spent one day there as well. I just realized that I didn’t take any pictures in the capital. It was nice there – right on the Mekong River, which acts as the natural border with Thailand. Vientiane is a good place to catch your breath - get a taste of real Western food at the many expat restaurants and, if you are traveling into Laos, it is good place to stock up on your preferred brand of soap, and snacks and such before heading out into the boonies.

I crossed into Thailand two days ago and will catch you up on that in the next couple of days.

I know I know - it has been way too long since my last entry. I really should’ve taken advantage of the in-room wireless back in Vietnam. Laos doesn’t offer such luxuries yet. But no more excuses.

Let me see… Let me catch you up on Luang Prabang before I get to Vang Vieng (ugh) and Vientiane, which is where I am now.

I think I was saying something about a curfew and that no one is going to change that… something something. Well, I mean, of course I was wrong. The curfew is officially at midnight and most guesthouses will either lock their doors or get angry if they catch you coming in late.

But one night I met three Australians, two Swedes, a Brit and one other American and we all had one too many Beerlao over at Lao Lao Garden. Being that the Australians are Australians, they already knew that the night did not have to end at midnight. Some of the locals have found a way around the curfew by opening a bowling alley on the edge of town away from the wats or monks or anyone else for that matter and as a result a few guesthouses will just close the gate but not lock it, mine included (thank goodness). I didn’t do so well at the bowling, but then again I’m not sure anyone did. It was really just a way to keep drinking and eat microwave popcorn under very bright florescent lights. The next day, I was reminded of my age with an unbelievably nasty hangover.

As for the people I met that night, it was the Aussies that I continued to hang out with for the next few days and then one of the Aussies, Simon, for an additional day. It is amazing how many people are traveling alone. We are definitely a minority out here but it is still surprising just the same. I have also met quite a few other people in Luang Prabang but usually it didn’t last longer then the tuk tuk ride to and from some attraction and then maybe lunch or dinner. It was the Aussies that stuck with me or at least I stuck with them.

To celebrate my last two nights in Luang Prabang, I upgraded to a somewhat nice guesthouse that was twice as much and three times as nice. This German couple I met who have been traveling for months told me that they did the same sort of “upgrades” in the beginning. When I shrugged and just gave them a smile, they looked at each other and laughed, then the women says to me, “No matter how much money you made in New York, it will eventually run out.” I stopped smiling. By the way, she was really something. I liked her a lot… and I liked her boyfriend too… I guess.

So I will update you on my trip to Vang Vieng (ugh) sooner than later. Here is a little preview.

Also there are a ton more pictures on my Flickr page!