Lao Tubing!

thanks everyone for the notes on the blog! it's so nice to know that you're reading it and nice to see what you think! i actually wish can and all the cousins could have been with me yesterday, it was something like i never imagined doing! i got to experience why most backpackers go to vang vieng. everyone said you had to go tubing, so i had to see what it was like. it was crazy tubing down the nam song river! you take a tuk tuk filled with people and tubes up the river from town. then you all jump in the river and float! this is fun in itself, set in the gorgeous mountain scenes surrounding you, it is really just unreal! the river is moving actually really fast, so fast that i really didn't believe they let people do this! but we all jumped in and floated down the river... it was all in all about a 7 hour affair, because really, you don't just raft. not long after you jump in the river, you get to a hut structure of a bar, and people throw out these long bamboo sticks to reel you in. then you get to share drinks at this bar with everyone tubing down the river. there are about 8 bars on the river! so really, it's just like bar hoping down the river! the most fun thing besides tubing and meeting all these fun-loving people is at every bar you can climb high up into this structure, and swing way out into the river and jump in! it's like a very fancy tree swing! at one bar there was even a zip line, which was pretty sweet, but i liked the swings best! you could even go two or or three people a time, that's how big they were. there was also things like volleyball etc. at the bars, each was a little different. this was something that was definitely catered to tourists, but an amazing experience anyway, and a really really fun way to spend the day! even when it poured out, twice! i thought i would be scared to jump in the river, and sometimes i was, especially when you miss the tube they throw out to reel you back into the bar! but all in all it was so much fun. seriuosly, i know you all would have loved it and i wish you could have been there! i'm glad i had the experience of it. i can't wait to show you how high we jumped in from! a friend took some pictures, so when i get them i'll post them.

for now here are some random pics from last couple days...

i am back in Vien Chan now, and making plans to head way up north!

talk with you soon!