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01/22/2009: "Christmas in Vang Vieng"
Nai and I went to Vang Vieng, one of our favorite areas, for a few days around Christmas time and, in fact, spent Christmas Eve and Day there. The village was lit with a few holiday lights and fake Christmas trees, but nothing spectacular. The most notable sign that it was a holiday were the hordes of drunk, loud and sometimes obnoxious younger backpacker-type tourists celebrating the season. Like I stated earlier, this time of year is the peak of tourist season, and if I'm ever back in Laos in December, I'm going to avoid Vang Vieng.
Despite the crowds, we still had a decent time, relaxing along the river for the most part. Here are my favorite "Christmas" decorations (and any other time of year for that matter) along the Song River.
Lazy Days on the River
Of course, not everyone was partying and getting smashed on Beer Lao. Quite a few people took advantage of the great weather, kayaking and tubing down the river, a popular pastime here.
Kayaking on the Nam Song
So, after a hard day of "hammocking" (as opposed to kayaking) along the river, it was time to go back to our room at the Riverview Guesthouse and sit on our balcony to watch the sun go down.
Vang Vieng Sunset
Here's another view from the balcony, looking over some newly built river side guesthouse bungalows towards the surrounding mountains.
Bungalows and Mountains
New bungalows had also been built across the river, reached by crossing a footbridge.
Bungalows Across the River
One of the highlights of the trip was my introduction to a fantastic Lao dessert (name unknown). Made with coconut and cream, these were cooked over an open fire in small, covered containers. Eaten fresh and hot from the fire, these were delicious!
Laos Dessert
Laos Dessert
After spending four days in Vang Vieng, it was time to go back to Vientiane and sit along the Mekong and watch the sun go down. Vientiane actually seemed more peaceful than Vang Vieng. Notice how low the river is compared to the photos of it I took last August.
Sunset Over the Mekong
So, all in all, it was a nice visit to Laos, as usual. I'll post some more photos to the Photo Gallery eventually, so keep checking in. More later.
