I made it back to Yeosu in good shape, not too much the worse for wear, though it took me a few days to recuperate. My best intention of keeping up a running commentary of my time in Laos and Thailand fell short of the mark (again).
I never did make it to Bangkok, for one reason or the other. The train strike lasted only a few days, but after staying more than a couple of days in Nong Khai, Thailand, time ran short, so I spent the last part of my trip in Laos.
On further reflection about Vang Vieng, though there weren’t nearly as many tourists there as in December, it was still like being in a huge fraternity or high school party. There were a very large number of backpacker-type travelers between the ages of 18-22 (estimate). Most seemed to party hard into the wee hours or take the float-and-get-blasted trip down the Nam Song river. One night, Nai decided to go to one of the island bars and have a few beers. I could hear the music blasting from our guesthouse room, and it didn’t stop until 3 a.m. Nai told me later that the Lao police visited all the bars still open at that time and ordered them to shut down, due to the late hour and all the noise. Good for them! I’m sure Vang Vieng used to be a peaceful, sleepy village, but no more. Construction of new guesthouses is rampant, as usual, and I’m sure the place will become even more of a party town for youngsters in the future. I’ll be rethinking about visiting there again. It’s just not that enjoyable, for me at least.
Back here in Yeosu, we had a LOT of rain yesterday, well over a couple inches, I would guess. It’s rainy season here, too, and it’s supposed to rain off and on into the weekend. It’s kind of nice, but I’m sure it will get old quickly and I’ll be yearning for the sun soon. I’m not worried about the wet weather cutting into my jogging time, though; I cut my foot a bit on a sharp edge in a hotel shower, and, while it’s nothing remotely serious, it’s just enough of an injury that I won’t be able to run for a little while. Hopefully, I’ll be back up to speed by the weekend or early next week.
I’ll try to get some photos posted soon, but I won’t promise anything. My schedule right now is pretty light, but the university begins holding English classes for young, promising local students next week, so I’ll start getting some extra hours in then. I’m also part of a team of teachers writing a textbook for a new university class starting in September that will focus on English for Tourism in Yeosu. More hours = more pay. 😎 More later.