New Year's Eve

New Year's eve we had a nice dinner overlooking the Nam Song River, before getting to bed quite early and sleeping surprisingly well, despite Vang Vieng's reputation as a party town -- we managed to be far enough away from the loudest parts, at least.


At dinner, the kids had fun adding to a new story, which we will memorialize here:

There once was a woman who flew Air Asia, as fast as can be, as quick as lightning to Ventiane. She then got on a mini-VIP bus to go to "Vang Vieng" (say it very quickly). When she looking into a pool of water when she saw a frog, and leaned over for a better look. Her glasses fell into the water. As she was stooping over to look for her glasses, GI Joe, in an attempt to save the world, came flying out of a tree, and pushed the lady into the water. As it was a short fall, and she was very nimble, she landed on her feet.

The lady then got the lasso of truth and whipped it around a branch, flipping up out of the pond with a loud Tarzan scream, "Ooohh, Eaaaah -- Oooooh," and kicking GI Joe in the chest with a big thud, causing GI Joe to fall to the ground.

"That's not a nice thing to do. That's not a nice thing to do," said the woman, shaking her finger back and forth.

GI Joe got up and laughed, the deep belly laugh that reminds you of the jolly man of Christmas.

Offended by the laugh, the woman again said, "That's not a nice thing to do. That's not a nice thing to do."

GI Joe, still laughing heartily pulled out a cream pie from behind his back and flung it at the woman.

Again using the lasso of truth, the woman caught hold of the pie and managed it flip it back towards its origin, with cream flying all over GI Joe's face.

As GI Joe, wiped the cream from his face, he laughed and said, "This clearly has been a big misunderstanding, for we are two heroes trying to save the world, and I only accidentally knocked you in the pond. Let's go to the Sleeping Wall and practice our training together."

After the two had left for the Sleeping Wall, a nondescript secret agent snuck into the pool. Using his feet, he discovered the glasses at the bottom of the muck. With his magical powers, he turned the spectacles into a clam, and then set off with the ultra-powerful secret weapon into the urban jungle of Vang Vieng.

We then returned to our hilarious digs at one of the few guest houses that had availability for New Year's Eve. We were grateful for a room. At the beginning of each year, we have a family tradition of making New Year's Predictions -- who will win major sporting news, what will happen in the world in the course of the coming year, and what will happen within the Woodward family.

One of the categories is where everyone will be the following New Year's Eve. Let's just say that "the Nana Guest house in Vang Vieng, Laos" was not anyone's guess a year ago!