Laos is landlocked, and I honestly did expect to do most of my post-work relaxing on a sandy beach. But Vang Vieng is everything I had hoped Thailand would be- the people are relaxed, not chomping at the bit to squeeze a few extra Baht out of the foreigners. The scenery is sublime, verdant cliffs, not garbage and filth. The prices are low, the food is good, and the weather is delightful after three days straight of rain. Four days is probably not enough time here, but I'm in no hurry.
I met up with three North-Englishmen at the border and we shared a cab all the way up to Vang Vieng, a four hour trip over mostly sealed roads and a few flooded spots reminiscent of fording the rivers in Oregon Trail. We're now sharing meals and a guesthouse room for dollars a day, and the company is excellent. There are caves to be explored and rivers to be tubed, and I got a few novels from the book exchange in Bangkok, so I'm ready for maximum vacation.
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