Vang Vieng and The Amazing Drive to Get Here

I finally made it out of Luang Prabang but I almost ended up staying there for another day. It was hard to leave but I did it. I am currently in Vang Vieng which is a backpackers paradise. The thing to do in this town is tube down the river with copious amounts of alcohol. I think that I will go tubing but maybe skip the copious amounts of alcohol.
The other thing to do here is go to one of the many bars and watch episode after episode of Friends or if you lucky The Simpson's. Normaly I wouldn't be into doing this but to be honest after traviling for a month now just sitting down with a beer lao and watching a little tv sounds good.
Now onto one of, if not the, best drives I have ever been on. Up until yesterday I thought that the drive throgh the Brenner pass was my favorite drive but I think that this might have it beat. I took a mini-bus down from Luang Probang south to Vang Vieng. This was the same drive that I skipped on the way up. The drive takes your right through the mountains of northern lao and also through all these lao villages. Everything was so green and beautiful it was absolutly stunning as you can see by the pitcure. the drive of maybe 150-200 km took about 6 hours but it was a beautiful 6 hours. I put in earphones from my ipod and played the classical meditation cd that Bob and Susan burned for me. it was the perfect accompnyment for the drive. thanks again bob and susan for that. It made everything come alive it really was wonderful.
The lao villages were also a sight to be sceen. some of the houses were built right along the road with drop offs into green green valleys that seem to go on forever. and when I say houses i mean houses that were built out of bamboo, palm leaves and other pieces of wood. they were very simple houses which were full of smiling lao people. who were outside cooking, mending there fishing nets, drying out tree bark and a varriety of other things. I felt like i was transported back 100 years in time and was watching a movie from the bus window.
If any of you ever get the chance take this drive and bring a little music with you.....simply a beautiful and amazing drive that you will never forget. My only piece of advice would be to only do the drive once because it is a very curvy drive. If any of you have ever taken the back road to hana it is alomost exactly like that but 5 hours longer. but still well worth the time and effort.