Out in the Valley

Video #1 - Multitasking on a bike with wobbly ride through Ban Na Som.

Video #2 - A butterfly show in the gardens of the Maylyn Guest House, Vang Vieng

Tham Pu Kham with garden and karst formations in smoke haze.

Blue Lagoon at Tham Phu Ham

Blue Lagoon residents at Tham Phu Kham.

Easy Rider on his Chinese motorbike at Tham Phu Kham.

Lane to the creek in Ban Na Som.

Monk slicing up cucumber for the two of us in the Wat in Ban Na Som.

With a monk who invited me to his quarters.

Weaver in Ban Na Som.

Stream crossing.

GOT UP EARLY and rented a little Chinese motorbike for the day. It was available for 40,000 kip or $5.00 but if anything went wrong, with the exception of an engine breakdown, the customer was completely responsible. I started out by crossing a foot bridge over the Nam Song River. It only had a banister on one side but I made it to the other shore and proceeded for 7 kilometres over a very bumpy road. Passed a couple of hamlets and villages en route. I could have visited a cave, or two, but as the local caverns could only be viewed by flashlight I decided to stick to touring. Visited a temple in the village of Ban Na Som where I met a friendly monk. He invited me into his house, elevated on posts, where there was a cool cross draft. He also shared a couple of delicious local cucumbers that were gourd-shaped. Came back in the dust and heat by midday.

Vang Vieng is a notorious party place for young backpackers. For my second night here I was able to get accommodation, across the river. That put almost out of earshot of the noisy strip with it's chill lounges, drug laced fruit smoothies and endless runs of the sitcoms "Friends" and "Family Guy," played on video loops. Maylyn Guest House provided basic accommodation and featured a beautiful garden with small clouds of butterflies.