Today, we watched a guy fall out of a tuk-tuk because he was so high and/or wasted he couldn't control his body. Then, some of his friends (in a similar stupor) staggeringly dragged him and themselves across the street to their hotel. Elsewhere in town, partiers abound, shirtless, drunk, covered in body paint, or passed out in front of the TV at "bucket bars" and opium lounges. This town is depressing.
"Each time a young Australian woman strolls down the street in a bikini, a bearded American smokes a joint on a guest-house terrace, or a group of Koreans tumbles drunkenly out of a restaurant, it saps a little more of the essence of a town like Vang Vieng."
Brett Dakin, author of Another Quiet American
On the plus side, Vang Vieng is big by Lao standards, which means we're able to find western food, something we've been increasingly looking forward to after a day or two of noodle soup. Here, we found the "Luang Prabang Bakery" a great place that serves delicious pastries and chicken strips. We spent most of our time there today writing.
Besides working at the bakery, eating our way through their supply of delicious treats, and typing through our eighty-journal-strong backlog, we went for a few strolls through town, playing with the many puppies that make their home on the sidewalks.
In other news, Tyler is still sick, so we'll stay one more day so he can hopefully recover a bit more.