Having tried tubing down the Nam Song, the number 2 activity on our to do list was kayaking down it, this time (being older, wiser and just thawed out) at an earlier hour - 9 o clock in the morning after a superb breakfast outside the Saysong Guesthouse of chicken sandwich and hot Lao coffee, perfect to kickstart the day and warms you up on those rather chilly mornings in Vang Vieng.
We dropped by Tham Xang (Elephant Cave), located beside a Lao Loum village reached after a short weave through the paddy fields, now yellow in the dry season with water buffaloes grazing idly nearby, and Tham Nam (the waterlogged cave - Im guessing it means River Cave literally?) later before making it by pickup to the start of our journey down the Nam Song. Tham Xang was so-so, a vaguely elephant looking stalactite, a reclining Buddha, a Buddha footprint made in stone and some nagas (mythical serpents guarding over the Buddha). The name is supposedly because an elephant once lived in the cave.
The nearby village was far more interesting, with chickens, dogs, the odd turkey (an USAID legacy, ive read) and pig wandering around looking for food scraps. Life goes on as normal, it seems, in the village, and there really weren't too many tourists around the area. Lazy, idyllic, as if time never passes, and even if it did were of no consequence, something i really love about small towns and villages.
After that it was by pick up, with our kayaks riding on top, to Tham Nam. Throuh the way, I was thinking, hell, we could have been filming an advertisement for kayaks/pickups, the scenery was just great, the wind on our faces, and especially the part when the pickup rolled out of the treeline onto the bank of the Nam Song, bumping over the pebbled shores and fording a tributary on the way. Hearing the rush of the water, the tinkling over the stones, worn smooth on the shallow river bed, smelling the scent of trees and traces of woodfire where the villagers were preparing lunch. What an ad that would make.
Tham Nam, where we visited and spent most of our time waiting (for the tubes to go in), was a once in a lifetime experience for me. By that, I mean, just that once would be enough - I doubt ill ever try it again. It had all the elements of a B grade horror movie - as mentioned in a previous post it was wet - not just damp, but filled with water that you have to take a tube in, following a rope which went missing in parts, into a narrow crevice. Claustrophobes also need not bother with this - The tunnel was at times so narrow that you had to bend backwards to avoid incapitation.
So what do we have now? Wet and claustrophobic. That leaves the darkness and the cold for me to moan about. It was pitch black. End of story - so really, how were we supposed to be enjoying something we couldn't see while at the same time feeling hopelessly lost (a perpetual feeling when it comes to caves), claustrophobic (imagine having a rock ceiling inches from your head 24/7 and water, water and more water under you, icy cold to the touch and making weird noises when it sloshes around the sides of the cave) and cold.
A reading off a Magellan by a half frozen Irishman revealed the water outside the cave (in bright sunshine) to be arond 15 Celsius. And to add to that our guide's joke (at least i hope it was) of crocodiles and snakes in the cave weren't exactly helping matters. But we survived, after losing orientation completely in one of the numerous chambers with mind boggling permutations of exits. Made it out into bright sunshine and I cant be more thankful. My insurance doesn't quite cover exploring caves Indiana Jones-style, i think...
Lunch stop of kebabs and fried rice, then the kayaks were unloaded once we hit the start off our 10 km river trip. Paddling down the Nam Song, all the while looking at that gorgeous scenery of tiny villages, trees, and mountains passing by, and fighting the odd rapids was fun. Yea. Really love the karst mountains that Vang Vieng is famous for. China may have nicer mountains, as some may say, but where else in the world do you get to kayak/tube down a flowing river, with crystal clear water no less, right beside those magnificent karst landforms? The evening scene was even more colourful and lively as the locals depend on the river for a variety of activities like fishing, bathing, washing and cooking.
We made a few stops along the way, mainly toilet stops, got a few fruit shakes (a tad more expensive, but excellent service and location - again, where else in the world do you find cocktails/shakes/ice cold beer right by the river for weary tubers/kayakers who are hauled up on bamboo poles. Throw in music and rope swings too.) before getting on our way. This time round, determined to get back to Vang Vieng town before it got too dark and we end up in Vientiane.
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