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One thing to note about Laos is the fact that if you want to travel around you really need to not mind bumpy winding roads. We had been warned that when getting buses in Laos the driver will tend to give you a sweetened version of the journey beforehand. We were told it would take 4 hours to get from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng but it actually took 8. Unfortunately Roy was suffering from a bout of food poisoning too so the very very windy and ridiculously bumpy journey was one I don't think he will forget for a long time!

Vang Vieng used to be a tranquil scenic stop for travellers once upon a time. Since that time the river going through the town has been transformed into a hotspot for the famous 'tubing'. We turned up at this river to experience it for ourselves....

You are given a giant tube and a big green bit of material is tied around your arm - not sure why. Then you walk across a bridge into the first bar, upon entering said bar you are forced to take a shot of whiskey - they pour it into your mouth from the bottle and if you refuse the staff follow you around blaring a siren in your ear. Once the shot is done they tie a pink string around your arm. You then get a drink and you sit in the sun drinking away and listening to blasting music and when you feel ready you go down to the river which is very fast and absolutely full of jagged rocks and you sit in your tube and off you go! As you approach the next bar a man throws a long rope out to you and if you want to stop there he pulls you in. Guess what? The whole ritual starts again, shot of whiskey, coloured string etc. So even if you had planned to take it easy....it just doesn't work that way. There is spray paint everywhere and drinking games and water pistols. Then there is of course all the slides, rope swings, diving boards etc - not safe!!!!!! It's a mental place altogether. We met a few people we knew from travelling so we had fun, and both managed to survive the experience : ) Floating down a river in the dark not knowing where the next bar will pop up was interesting!

The whole town is full of little cafes which have makeshift beds rather than chairs and there are televisions everywhere showing a never ending reel of Friends or Family Guy. The menus are full of normal food but also 'happy' food containing 'happy' ingredients. The whole place is a stoners paradise.

One day there was enough for us just to experience the madness that is tubing. It was then time to hop on board another bus to the capital Vientiane for our last stop in Laos.

Voila : )

Sarz