Stepping out of the Groove: Vang Vieng - Endless Limestone (approx. Jan 19-20)

The scenery in Laos is truly stunning. When we left Luang Prabang, it was via a bus to Vang Vieng. The distance covered by road was approximately 230km. By air it may have been as little as 60-80km. A very curvy mountain road. We climbed, then descended, and then climbed again. At one point the road followed a high ridge system for 30+km and we snaked along the top of this ridge with fantastic views to both sides. Amazing. It reminded us of the foothills of the Himalaya in Nepal.

Joanie and I were both thinking that it would be a world-class road bike ride. The asphalt is very good, there is very little vehicle traffic, and there are numerous villages along the way for meals, water, toilet, and even accommodations. You could do it with the bare minimum of gear as a bike tour. Temps were around 65-70 F. Perfect for exercise.

When we started our descent into the Vang Vieng valley there was this very prominent peak of probably 1000m+ of relief. Super steep. It looked like Ama Dablam without the snow and ice. Instead, it was draped in vegetation. Soaring limestone buttresses and faces. There are tons of climbing opportunities to be had in Laos. Most of it likely on unclimbed terrain.

The other pleasant surprise is that the party scene in Vang Vieng is quite muted. We had read that it was a mandatory stop on the SE Asia booze cruise crowd with drinking, raves, and techno music blaring at all hours. Apparently, due to numerous injuries and deaths in recent years as a result of over-consumption of alcohol, the local government has reigned in the party scene. Bars close as 11:30PM and the town seems to be pretty chill. No One Cares the British youth had to revert back to Mykonos…

P.S. We finally managed to find a wifi connection that used something other than squirrels spinning a wheel to power the router. The local gentrified bakery has decent speed and we were able to upload some recent video clips and pictures.

P.P.S. We have managed some sort of outdoor exercise-related activity every day in Vang Vieng. We even extended our stay a few days, because we have enjoyed it so much. It is not too different from Ouray in its outdoor recreation opportunities and focus.