Vang Vieng -Adventure Capital 

Update: Check out this link about Vang Vieng. I didn’t realize how bad the situation there has been!

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asean/1196941/life-after-death-in-vang-vieng
Vang Vieng…Rice patties, karsks rising like magnificent beasts above the Song River this previous party town has become a great outdoors adventure spot. It is situated two-thirds of the way south from Luang Prabang towards the Laos capital of Vientiene. 
Rock climbing (world class) is big. Kayaking, tubing, caving and mountain biking as well. We stuck to motor bike touring, caving and kayaking.

Tham Phu Kham (Blue Lagoon) outside Vang Vieng.

I was shooting pictures into the cave’s darkness with my phone with little idea what I would capture. We ventured beyond others into three hundred meters of sheer darkness (other than our rented head lamps) and rough terrain. Wearing flip flops was an oversight!

Swimming in the natural Blue Lagoon at the foot of the climb after cooled the soul and body.

Our motor cycle day trip took us beyond Blue Lagoon into villages and diverse terrain.

It was hot. Men and women carry umbrellas for protection against the heat…a colourful sight as they whizzed by on their bicycles.

On our second day we kayaked down the Song River for a few hours and visited an organic mulberry farm for lunch outside of town.

Treated ourselves to wonderful french meal at Restaurant de Crab d’Or in the Riverside Boutique hotel (middle left, above).Amazing duck.How do the French do it! 

Another dinner was in a German/Laos restaurant. The German speaking Loatian man was host,waiter, bartender, cook and bottle washer! Yes we had weinersnitzel  (very good).  And yes it was worth the wait just for the scene’s entertainment value albeit the poor man was understandably stressed. A great juggler.