Two-wheeled freedom

Another great way to get out into the countryside around Vang Vieng, other than by bike or tube, is to rent a scooter! It looked way more complicated than I thought, so I'm glad Mark took the reins on this one. We rode about 6 km east of town to Yui falls, which had a few beautiful pools to swim in. We soaked in the sun-dappled turquoise pool, and marveled at the tangle of tree roots on the rock beside the falls, where butterflies were flitting about. It was pretty idyllic!

We continued on around the road that looped back into town, where the hills and valleys of the jungle were infused with dusty, late afternoon sun, and each corner revealed a new and more magnificent view than the last. And like before when we were biking, children screamed 'sabaideeee!' as we passed through their village, and we would holler it back and wave enthusiastically.

We came around one corner and came face to face with a large tractor whose driver was struggling to get it up the loose gravel slope, and another man pushing it from the back. So we jumped off the bike and helped them push it up, and as I was getting back on the scooter I backed right up into the blazing hot muffler and burned my leg. The very same muffler I had asked earlier hey, isn't there some part of the bike that gets really really hot and you shouldn't touch it? Yeah. That part. Another man riding by paused briefly as I yelped, and I just pointed to the muffler in explanation and he carried on. But then he came back and after some confused gesturing he showed me how to put motor oil on it, I guess to keep it moist until I could tend to it properly? Anyway, I thought that was really nice of him to come back just to show me that.

Despite the burn it was a super day, and a great last day of our five in Vang Vieng, before heading to the capital, Vientiane.

The main street of Vang Vieng

Lots of these little guys around. Is is a snake? Is it a lizard? It's a snizard! It's a linake!

Looking straight up at the water falling down