vang vieng

beneath towering limestone cliffs that stand stalwart in the distant soft gray humid haze and along a softly bubbling river is vang vieng. it is a two street town, one along the river, and one parallel, full of guesthouses and restaurants advertising pizza and sandwiches for ten thousand kip. listen closely and i guarantee you will hear the "ber ner ner ne ner ner ner ner" of the friend's theme song, or the "birrampa ta damp" of the family guy theme song. there are at least a dozen restaurant/bar type of places with tables and blankets and pillows perfect for lying around. on their televisions they show either friends or family guy, all day, every day. 

at dusk the extraoridinarily drunk return from their tubing trips and walk around town shirtless and barefoot and talking loudly and boisterously about all the things that can't be expressed when calm and sober.

and in the morning the same people are walking around shirtless and barefoot and visibly hungover.