Got Worms?

Just got off a 12 hour bus ride from Vientiane (Laos) to Bangkok at 5am.
Just booked a bus to Siem Riep (Cambodia) that leaves in 2 hours.
Just want a beer, a shower, and a bed.

After Luang Prabang we took a bus to Vang Vieng, a backpacker ghetto. It was once a small Laotian town, but now it's overrun by tourists who are either hung over or drunk, sitting around in bars watching American sitcoms and cartoons. Many backpackers on long trips just stay here and get a job in a restaurant or a bar. It's famous for tubing down the river and stopping at makeshift bars for a couple of hours, then going to the bars where you can buy a bucket of a mixed drink. We explored the nearby caves with some fellow travelers.

We were of course very well prepared, and forgot flashlights and decent footwear. It was very beautiful and exciting to explore what we could before we felt too under equipped to continue. It didn't help that I told our group of 5 that tourists exploring the caves in the past had become lost and perished before search teams had reached them. Maybe I should've kept that gem to myself.

The next day we had book a kayaking trip halfway to Vientiane, at which point we would be picked up and driven the rest of the way. However, Lauren was feeling pretty ill, so she decided to pass on it. I went with Heather, a Brit we'd met on the long boat to Luang Prabang.

For the most part it was pretty mellow, although we did have clear blue skies for once, instead of the sickly grey. There was a (very) small stretch of rapids, then an amazing lunch of chicken kebabs, fried rice, and baguettes. Then some of us climbed up the rock face and jumped about 40 feet into the river. Also very fun.

Vientiane is a very cool city. As the capitol, it obviously has a lot more going on, but it is also a lot less tourist-oriented. They have a version of L'Arc de Triomphe (Patuxay), with south-east Asian influence on the ornamentation and completion (well, it was never and most likely will never be completed). Heather and I did climb to the top and get some good views of the city, however.

Walked to two Wats (details to come later, with photos), and then caught the overnight bus to Bangkok. Here now. Tired.