Transport -- Modes of Variety....

One of the decisions I need to make on a regular basis as I travel is how I am going to get from point A to point B. Factors such as speed of delivery, cost of delivery, likelihood of delivery vehicle making it to said points without greasefires or flat tires, etc. are all important as I make these decisions. So are variety and necessity.

I wanted a bit of variety, so I decided to take a kayak from Vang Vieng to Vientiane. I went with about 15 others, along with some guides, down the Nam Lik river. There were rapids along the way... my first true direct experience with rapids. It was exhilarating.... running up against waves on a river, not being sure whether the next one will be the one to capsize you.

The main guide didn't offer too much in the way of discernable guidance (I know that he couldn't have been talking about Jai Alai, but he seemed to repeat the words so much, I was sure it was kindred with kayaking in some way), so my partner and I were left to paddle for ourselves. Which, admittedly, wasn't all that graceful -- I was smacking the waves away, like stray kittens, rather than paddling through them. Ignorance is bliss on the river it seems.... we made it through the rapids without capsizing. The rest of the time I just coasted down the river, getting a bit sunburned, and wondered if you can use those curved, flinging things in Jai Alai to paddle an inflatable kayak. I don't think you can, but then, I am not a JaiAlaiaker.