The Lotos blows by every winding creek;
All day the wind breathes low with mellower tone;
Thro’ every hollow cave and alley lone
Round and round the spicy downs the yellow Lotos-dust is blown.
We have had enough of action, and of motion we,
Roll’d to starboard, roll’d to larboard, when the surge was seething free,
Where the wallowing monster spouted his foam-fountains in the sea.
Let us swear an oath, and keep it with an equal mind,
In the hollow Lotos-land to live and lie reclined
On the hills like Gods together, careless of mankind.
For they lie beside their nectar, and the bolts are hurl’d
Far below them in the valleys, and the clouds are lightly curl’d
Round their golden houses, girdled with the gleaming world;
Where they smile in secret, looking over wasted lands,
Blight and famine, plague and earthquake, roaring deeps and fiery sands,
Clanging fights, and flaming towns, and sinking ships, and praying hands.
But they smile, they find a music centred in a doleful song
Steaming up, a lamentation and an ancient tale of wrong,
Like a tale of little meaning tho’ the words are strong;
Chanted from an ill-used race of men that cleave the soil,
Sow the seed, and reap the harvest with enduring toil,
Storing yearly little dues of wheat, and wine and oil;
Till they perish and they suffer—some, ’tis whisper’d—down in hell
Suffer endless anguish, others in Elysian valleys dwell,
Resting weary limbs at last on beds of asphodel.
Surely, surely, slumber is more sweet than toil, the shore
Than labor in the deep mid-ocean, wind and wave and oar;
O, rest ye, brother mariners, we will not wander more.
I am not Odysseus, but I have found the real land of the Lotus Eaters; and it is not in northern Africa, but in the middle of Laos. Joe and I spent 5 days in the Laotian town of Vang Vieng, but while we were there it seemed as if time was standing still. Retrospectively, it seemed as if time sped up considerably. Often I find myself reminiscing about the place, longing to return some day soon.
Perhaps I should begin my account with the bus ride from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng. The road was terrible - mired with potholes and boulders and alternating between stretches of pavement and dirt - yet the scenery was amazing. The "highway" meandered into the mountains of Laos, which were nothing short of spectacular. I have never seen geologic formations like those I saw in Laos. This karstic region featured towering limestone mountains that seemed conspicuously out of place. They should have been rising out of the ocean or situated along the continental shelf; instead, they rose up prominently from the ground. Needless to say, the irregular shaped mountains, stunning cliffs, and native flora was altogether breathtaking.
A sample of the karstic formations enroute to Vang Vieng.
Red Cliff in Vang Vieng.
Sunsets in Vang Vieng - Our bungalow sure had a great view!
Caving Adventures
There was so much to do in Vang Vieng; there was also so much not to do. The area is surrounded by magnificent limestone mountains like those aforementioned. True to its karstic nature, the cliffs also boasted a plethora of hidden caves. Joe and I rented mountain bikes (after learning our lesson in Ayutthaya, we made sure the brakes worked this time) and went caving for a couple days.
Only one minor complaint about the bike - you know it must have been tiny if it was too small even for me.
Joe dutifully stands guard at the entrance to Phou Kham Cave
Phou Kham Cave was the largest cave in the area; it also had some amazing stalactites.
A small temple and reclining Buddha adorn the main cavern of Phou Kham Cave.
Outside of Phou Kam Cave was a blue lagoon that was great for swimming. And the tree was great for jumping.
The water inside Phadeng Goldjar Cave was not as aesthetically pleasing . . . although, to be fair, it didn't look this bad in the dark. Our guide also played surprisingly pleasant music for us by banging rocks on the crystalline walls of the cave.
Chang Cave
Chang Cave was quite touristy. You didn't think that red light was natural, did you?
The area outside of Chang Cave was equally breathtaking.
Tubing and the Flying Fox
A river runs through the middle of Vang Vieng and tourists can rent tubes and float down it. An uninterrupted float trip would last about 3 hours. It was very similar to floating down the Boise River. That is where the similarity ends though. First of all, the banks of the river are lined with various bars selling food and drinks. Locals would stand on the banks and hold out long bamboo sticks to pull in passing tubers who needed refreshment. Secondly, the river features many rope swings and jumping platforms of various sizes. Any one of them would have been fun to stop and hang out at, but a few of them outshone the rest and that is where we devoted most of our time. One bar featured a 30-40 foot zip line that patrons could fly into the river from. Unfortunately, the pictures of this one were on my camera-you'll have to use your imagination.
The title of most exhilarating ride should undeniably be awarded to a gigantic rope swing called the Flying Fox. After climbing up a rickety bamboo ladder to a platform that teetered a good 40 feet above the river, thrill seekers could swing out on this giant rope swing. For those of you who have had the opportunity of riding the rope swing on the South Fork of the Payette before they cut the tree down: that doesn't even compare to the thrill of the Flying Fox.
Style points???
For those that had seen enough of the surrounding environs (there seemed to be a lot of them), Vang Vieng offered (too) many venues to kick back and relax. Every restaurant and guest house had a television (or 2, or 3) that were constantly playing movies, HBO, or American sitcoms. In addition, they situated all of the tables toward the TVs and the seating all took the form of makeshift Laotian couches complete with padding and cushions. Particularly illustrative of this bizarre phenomenon was the fact that three bars (not 15 meters apart) played episodes of "Friends" nonstop, all day, every day. Other restaurants/guesthouses played "Simpsons" nonstop, all day, every day. Quite bizarre.
Luang Prabang was undergoing massive construction efforts in response, I am sure, to the growing tourist pressures. I can only hope that it isn't transformed beyond recognition.
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