Kouang Si Waterfall
With some of the guys I had met on the infamous Hanoi to Vientiane bus journey, I took a tuk-tuk to the Kouang Si Waterfall which lies 32km south of the city. I was initially surprised at how many restaurants and vendors could spring up adjacent to the park it resides, but after a quick to the bear and tiger conservation unit, I was stunned by how nice the waterfall and its surroundings were. We took a trek up to the top where Marie, a French Canadian who decided to skip the tuk-tuk and cycle the way, showed no fear by climbing a tree overlooking the summit where there was a clear 'Danger' sign. I, of course, did no such thing.
Down at the bottom, in some splash pools, were loads of Lao kids playing around with a rope swing. Even though it had nowhere near as much potential as the crazy swings on the banks of the river in Vang Vieng, they were still really going for it.
On the journey back I had the pleasure of witnessing a bird of some sort being held up and smashed with sticks by some local village people. Laos is not a place to visit if you fight for animal rights. They have none.
