De-Laos-ing

First of all I should note that the 's' in 'Laos' is silent, hence nullifying the pun in the title, but I figure I get a writer's allowance (for lack of a better term).

The day after our arrival in Vientiane we were off to Vang Vieng (aka hippie heaven) a very, very sleepy little town nestled on a lazy river under the watchful eye of gorgeous karst peaks. Aside from the scenery and some adventure sport options, the major appeal of Vang Vieng is strictly, shall we say, bohemian. The many restaurants along the only real street in the town play Friends re-runs on continuous loop as the dazed and confused patrons fill their munchie quotas voraciously.
We did, however, enjoy Vang Vieng's most famous attraction, the lazy river 'cruise'. This involves sticking yourself into a rubber tube and having the river current guide you to the many makeshift bars lining the route back to town. Though rather dangerous to be testing a briskly moving body of water while inebriated this is a huge tourist draw (go figure). The atmosphere at the bars was great, they had swings and trapezes from which you could catapult yourself into the water. All in all a good time, but bigger and better things called and so we were off to Luang Prabang.

I really think there is only one appropriate word to describe unique Luang Prabang, the small former French-colonial capital; stunning. Practically the whole area is a UNESCO world heritage site so it's immaculately preserved and just beautiful. Every shop, restaurant etc. looks like a chique boutique with a classic South East Asian colonial facade. The surrounding mountains with the breath-taking whisps of cloud add to the amazing aura of this place. Luang Prabang is the quaint 19th century town of romantic lore. While here we met some great people (a whole bunch from Montreal) and had a great mini-trek to a ridiculous waterfall. Pictures are the only way to fully appreciate the sights, but those will have to wait as we depart to Bangkok in about 15 minutes.

Numerous people who had visited Laos - both friends from back home and fellow travellers in other countries - has said that one can easily 'lose themselves in Laos'. Based on my initial impression I didn't understand this. The country is very beautiful, the cities well-organized and clean (maybe not so true for Vang Vieng) and the people are just wonderful. Still, a week seemed more than adequate to me - until we reached Luang Prabang. It seems that is the beauty of Laos, it has so much to offer of such variety that it takes careful inspection to determine what it for you.

I now realize my jaunt in Laos has been too short for me to develop a full appreciation for the subtelties that make this place so appealing to those in search of something. It would take a little more time and a little more patience, but I too am now convinced that its easy to get lost in this awesome country.

postscript...
I wish I had more time to explain how great the Laosians are. Everyone will greet you with a huge smile and a warm welcoming 'hello', be it on the street, in a guesthouse or in a small village. They are also some of the most gentle and honest of the South East Asians we have encountered thus far. This is one of the world's poorest nations but it must have some of the happiest people I've ever met.

ALSO apologies for any spelling/grammar errors, no time to check this over...