Continuing the journey to Vang Vieng - Hike to the Silver Cross Viewpoint and hot air balloon ride

Yesterday, I was supposed to take the train from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng in the late morning. A train line has been built with Chinese money from Kunming to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, which is supposed to significantly speed up travel. The line was opened in December 2021. I received my ticket three days before departure, having pre-ordered it a week in advance. There is quite a hype around the train. One can only hope that the Chinese influence on Laos does not increase further... The train station in Luang Prabang is located a bit outside the city; so I took a taxi there first. It's advisable to be there about 45 minutes before departure because there are security checks. And indeed, there was a security check similar to that at an airport; only without the possibility of checking in luggage, so I had to part with my panthenol spray and my very effective mosquito repellent from Koh Rong, which couldn't pass through the security gate. The one-hour train ride was smooth and quite pleasant, but it was not a big experience... After that, I took the bus to my accommodation in Vang Vieng. Checking in with the friendly landlady at the hotel went quickly and was even possible before the official time, so I had time for explorations in the early afternoon. I decided to take a little city tour and combine it with a hike to a viewpoint. So, I set off. However, according to Google Maps, the tour led to nowhere, so I opted for another viewpoint that I discovered. I paid my small fee, and then ascended steeply up the mountain for a while; partly over sharp stones, wobbly and decaying ladders, and in the last section, it was more climbing than hiking... but once I reached the Silver Cross Viewpoint, the effort was worth it with a fantastic view... and out of a cooler, basic refreshments were sold... I enjoyed the view for a bit and then started my steep descent... On the way back during sunset, I saw many hot air balloons and powered paragliders moving across the horizon above the city and the mountains, which sparked the idea for an activity for the following evening... In the evening, I took a usual food tour through the new surroundings and visited the local night market...

This morning, I took it easy. I had a hearty breakfast, leisurely planned and booked additional travel steps, and strolled through the different quarters of the city. I also browsed some local tour providers and booked a hot air balloon ride for the late afternoon, as well as a more active day tour with several stops for the following day.

Exactly at 4:30 PM, I was picked up at my hotel for the balloon ride, and gradually we collected the other participants... then we took our time with the balloon's rollout and later filling it before finally getting in... Above me, the fire flared up now and then, which I certainly felt was quite hot, but I didn't want to give up my - slightly hotter - spot in the balloon basket... We ascended to a considerable height and for about 30 minutes, we flew over Vang Vieng, with the impressive landscape on the horizon at sunset. Many other balloons were also in the air, which made the impressions even more stunning...

Afterward, I took a Tuk-Tuk back to the door of my accommodation, and after freshening up, I went on my usual evening food search in the local eateries...