Are you calling me a shandy drinker?

Our initial thoughts on Vang Vieng were not positive - a huge mass of backpackers, no landmarks or sights to see apart from Westerners walking down the street in just their swimwear - the problem with this is that in Asia, you should dress quite conservatively in public as a mark of respect, it's a double edged sword because this town is a party town created for tourists as a stop over or for the longer term - the locals make good money but turn a blind eye to what is usually deemed unacceptable behaviours.

However, Mike and I did let our hair down and went for a Gin and Tonic.

We also went tubing, the best way to describe this is that you sit in a rubber inner tube and float down the river. Traditionally, you are meant to do this in the afternoon whilst drinking buckets of alcohol, floating from one bar to another - the bar owners literally throw you a lifeline and drag you into their bar! We decided to go tubing off-peak and we had a great time - we even stopped for a shandy at 10 o'clock in the morning - don't tell me we don't know how to party!

This is a picture of Mike after his glass of shandy....