We knew what it was, but it begged answers to three questions.
1. How depressing is it that everyone goes to the same places?
After a pretty draining sweaty minibus journey through some amazing scenery along some shocking roads, we made it to Vang Vieng where the girls (Helen and Nic) carried out the odious task of finding somewhere to stay whilst Chris (Arsenal) and I (Spurs) talked through how we would get along despite being from other sides of the great divide. We were lucky enough to check into a nice little bungalow complete with squat mattress to hang out on, and realise that great barriers can be broken down if you make each other laugh.
Vang Vieng is a beautiful but odd little backpacker haunt, that is easy to love and hate in equal measure. They have set themselves up to supply western youth with everything that their mother's were worried they'd do whilst they were away. Namely get wasted and do something dangerous whilst under the influence. Its a bit like a Laos 18-30 holiday destination. Its just a shame that our cultural exchange consists of getting wasted and watching episodes of Friends on DVD lounging on sofas in restaurants, then getting blitzed tubing and strolling around with bare chests or bikini tops despite being in a country where such shows of flesh are embarrassing and offensive in equal measure. 
Beer Laos devotees
Very happy eating pizza
Anyway, enough of being right on. We had spent a few days hanging out with the Helen on Chris in a cycle of eating, drinking, feeling rough the day after and then sweating it out on the mattress listening to adam and joe podcasts (Stephen! Git off mi!) and then finally felt well enough to take on the main event of tubing.
Having fuelled up with a full english we set off for the tube hire and were served by some rude men, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were in a service industry, and were ferried up to the launch point on the Nam Xong armed with tractor inner tyre for the hour float downstream. Well at least it should've been 1 hour but the locals have set up riverside bars equipped with soundsystems, sun decks, rope swings and death slides, which dish out beers and free shots of evil local moonshine. It got messy, we had a good time but wont be buying a vest and there is no photographic evidence until we get that waterproof disposable camera developed.
A mention needs to made of Nicky 'double hard bastard' Carroll. She was left with this sizable splinter in her leg after stepping through the bamboo floor of a stilted riverside bar. Even Lara Croft-a-likes get hurt sometimes
Helen has 50% success rate at kitten rescue
The local taxi service in action
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