Travel Blog; Part Four (of Four)

Vangviang is a weird place. It was the last stop on my journey through S.E. Asia and conveniently also a required weekend trip to earn myself 30 more days in Thailand. The town in the north-central part of Laos is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The small town is at the base of huge limestone cliffs partly covered in the Asian kinds of green trees that can manage to grow cliffside.

Lonely Planet writes that most travelers have a love-hate relationship with the town and I certainly found this to be true during my two days there. It’s centrality and accessibility for mainstream backpackers, combined with the sheer beauty of it, make it a required stop on any circuit through the country. Of course because of the unwritten requirement, the town has become somewhat of a backpacker's Mecca. Bars line the streets blasting Friends episodes and The Simpsons, while backpackers sample mediocre fare and discuss whether BeerLao is better than Singha, or Tiger is better than BeerLao, or Singha is better than Tiger etc. well into the early morning hours. The next morning everybody splits up into their respective “adventure groups.“ While some like myself pilgrimage to the cliffs for a few bolted climbs, others head to the river for float trips, caving, biking, hiking, kayaking or a blend of any of those. Then the night comes and Friends starts playing on every street corner and the beer debate begins anew. There is no discernible culture necessarily, other than the culture of 20-something Western European thriftiness. Like I said, Vangviang is a very weird place. Weird but certainly beautiful.