Vang Vieng- Tubing

Tubing Tubing Tubing.

After a long cramped mini bus ride a whole 7 hours to Vang Vieng we met Jack, Nico and Sebastien ( who convinced us driving a motorbike through Vietnam is a good thing to do and this is what we spoke of the whole 7 hours) while going over the worst roads in the world (Laos not Vietnam!). We arrived to find our guesthouse and went out to give Jack (the bucket virgin) his first taste of strong mixed spirit, who knows what percent Sangsom whisky, redbull and coke, all mixed together nicely in a sand bucket- that you have heard of before.

Now all us pro's knowing how it is going to effect us knowing not to bring any valuables, things you can take out and lose quite easily... poor Jack somehow managed to lose his phone, camera and wallet, and also managed to get in morning (daylight) when everyone else got in early morning (still night fall). Ouch, the next morning he woke up HANGING. Such a trooper though, for this day was the day we were to TUBE. DUN DUN DUN!!!

Tubing- an inner ring of a tractor tire, a large floating device in which you sit in, float leisurely down the Mekong River. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong ( The worlds 10th largest river) while Laos men are shooting pepsi bottles filled with water attached to long strings to pull you against the fast moving current into their bar.

Now earlier I said leisurely, I would say it is anything but. Every 5 meters there is another bar with exciting activities like a bucket hanging on a string in the middle of the river and you have crawl our on the wire rope, to reach the bucket and come all the way back to get a free bucket, Tom didnt quite understand, tried to bring the bucket back. He made it there but fell in half way back but got us a free bucket!
Massive water slides (with a 20 foot drop the other side!)-- which was AWESOME, card games and drinking games galore.

I'm not sure if you can tell from this, but by the 3rd bar we were pretty drunk, yet thinking and wondering how anyone can get hurt by doing this ( we have heard horror stories) but as long as you keep your wits about you, can swim easy peasy. Then it got dark. More dun dun dun's.

For some reason we went past THE LAST BAR as the man said we can tube all the way back to Vang Vieng, okay, trust a local, yes, but this isnt the same - the river bends and fast moving rapids (Probably not) but the water began to move much faster, it was pitch black with no bars around and we all lost sight of one another.

I think we all had a moment of sheer panic, trying to get to the side was impossible, I was alone and quite frightened at this point, I even imagined crocodiles were coming to get me in the water. I finally met a girl along the way who has been tubing the last 5 days and had also lost her friends EVERYTIME, and kept telling my whole panicky self that it happens. Well shit no it should NOT happen- especially five times in a row you silly so and so. Shouldnt you have some wits? Maybe not go after dark? This was our lesson.

I climbed out of the water as soon as the water slowed down to climb up a steep mountain with a rickety old ladder made of twigs. At this point I am the only one, screaming for Tom, and everyone to keep floating until they can see the ladder, I dont think they heard a thing- but finally Nico showed up missing Sebastien and we panicked together. ( I think me more than him). Eventually Sebastien showed, then Jack and 20 minutes later to be my most happiest moment I heard Tom who eventually came into my very wonderful sight. Relief.

Tom's account of tubing..............................................

So! All was well in the world of tubing, we were swinging off rope swings, playing drinking games, climbing on wires (should've listened to the damn rules!) and generally having a good time.

As you can read from Kels' account above, tubing was a great laugh.

Right up until the last half hour.

Now we werent drunk drunk by the time the end came, but we'd heard from a few reliable sources that you can float back into town only 10 minutes later and trying to save money, we lost a bit of sense.

The others raced around a bend ahead, through no fault of their own, but the piece of river that i was on was moving a bit slower. In hindsight i was a little too close to the edge, but nothing prepared me for what was about to happen....

As i turned the corner my tube got snagged on an overturned tree and to my horror i was flipped upside down, in the dark, and the undercurrent pulled me to the tree's centre. I was underwater for about a minute all in all but it felt like a bloody eternity.
I could see my tube above me caught on the tree, so i kept on swimming and swimming, trying to reach the surface. After about 30 seconds of this futile effort (i got nowhere and everytime i stopped i was dragged back to the centre) I told myself that this was NOT how i was going out, drunk under a tree on holiday.
I'd never seen Blink live, i'd never watched West Ham win a league, all in all i just dug a little deeper, and hand over hand i pulled myself up and around towards the surface. Branch by branch.

I got to the top and air. Sweet bloody air. (i wouldve traded it for a cigarette but air would have to do!)

I grabbed my tube and swam 30 foot to the closest bank. I was in the middle of nowhere.

I could hear Kelsey literally screaming my name (we all know how she loves a panic) and tried to shout back but she couldnt hear me. I walked on the bank to catch my breath and thought to myself i can either get in a Tuk-Tuk now, or i can get back in the goddamned river and go to her. So i got back in the tube.

By this time i could hear where the group was, Jack was guiding me in by voice as i couldnt see a thing. I reached the group and walked to Tuk-Tuk where i promptly collapsed and waited 10 minutes before saying anything.

Apart from a slight hitch towards the end, the day was fantastic and now we had a story to tell and beers to drink.


We went out later that night to a few bars, got back on the buckets, and the earlier drama became a distant memory, but i hope you agree, a wicked story!


We all woke up the next morning, and having realised how much money we'd spent, cashed in a travellers cheque and hotfooted it out of Vang Vieng on the next available bus. On to Luang Phabang, the group intact and everyone ready for the next experience.