A Whirlwind Tour around Vientiane

10th day (16th March 2008)

Arrived in Vientiane at about 6am. The group I was with (led by Penny) invited me to join the shared saengtaew (we only need to pay 10,000 kip each). Alas-puno din sya, as in ang dami namin sa isang sasakyan, half of the passengers are tourists with backpacks bigger than mine!

Vientiane is by far the most laidback capital I’ve ever been to. The streets are so quiet in the early morning, the people have welcoming smiles on their faces all the time. It’s such a relaxing sight, a calming atmosphere. From the late 19th century, Laos became a French protectorate until 1953 and you can really see the pervading influence of the French colonials throughout the city, from the cafes to the monuments (the Patuoxai is patterned after the Arc de Triomphe) to government buildings --- all names in French!

After passing by the Talat Sao market area where some of the locals got off, we continued on and were dropped off at the Nam Phu area – a very quiet and provincial town square which is dotted with cafes and restaurants; I splitted up with the group coz I was thinking of going to another place to look for guesthouses but then I ended up meeting them again coz I couldn’t get a room anywhere! The couple (they are Americans who have been travelling around the Southeast since January) who had been here before told me that this is par for the course! It’s always difficult to get a good room unless you booked in advance.

I felt as if I’ve been walking for hours! All the places are FULL…..its amazing! I found a place I liked, the Vayakorn Guest House. Its single standard rooms are affordable, clean and comfortable. It is ideally situated in the center of the city and with shops, restaurants and bars nearby. Oooppssss…. Twice the price of my usual haunts but it’s so comfy and worth every dollar I paid! But yeah, I have to wait. Well, what’s a couple of hours more????

I am really famished. Aside from my meager snacks last night at the bus (juice + sandwich), my last meal was lunch yesterday! I ended up at Joma Café (hmm…it has wifi so I can really stay and wait here) waiting for my room at Vayakorn to be vacant, check out time is: 12nn but Reception told me the room will be ready around 11am…. I have another 3 hours to while away… Good thing, Joma Café has refillable coffee if you order the large cup at 13,000 Kip (since it was just 7.15am, there was a 50% discount!) so I plonked myself there and asked Emmanuelle, she’s a French girl who is currently based in Hanoi and is working for a nature travel group, to take photos of me….she obliged though I know it must be bewildering for her to understand this propensity of Asians to take pictures all the time!!

I am so tired now….. two days of nonstop travelling, about 48 hours since I left Phnom Penh and just a few hours rest for my poor, aching body. And to top it all off, I only had 2 decent meals in 2 days!!! Molaong man jaon si Mama, kay simay nag-ajo na ikaw ra man! But first thing first, I need to change my money to Lao Kip.

My poor feet…. Nagmukha na naman syang magsasaka ulit!!!!

How does it feel to be a MILLIONAIRE???? Hehehe….. even if its just in Lao Kip. I couldn’t resist the temptation to be a MILLIONAIRE for a day…… I changed my dollars to Lao Kip, take note that the exchange rate at that time was US$ 1 = 8,900 Lao Kip so when I exchanged US$ 115, it became….. voila!!! 1,0235,000.00 Kip

The heat was scorching outside but I need to eat before I explore the city! My first meal of the day @ 3pm --- a Salami sandwich washed down with Iced Lemon Tea. Most of the places in the Nam Phou area are European restaurants (esp French! Its terrible to have only breads and pasta to choose from for lunch!).

Armed with my map and my LP guide book, I walked from my guesthouse past the Nam Phou area along the Setthathirath avenue towards the Wat Sisaket, the oldest building in Vientiane. As I’ve said before, these Mekong kingdoms really love to fight each other that is why after the numerous battles fought and the invasions of different Siamese kings, only this temple was left of ancient Vientiane.

These walls are niche for funeral urns….. I know it should be taboo for me to take pictures here but…

On the other side of the street is the Ho Phra Keo which was originally where the Emerald Buddha was placed (now, it is in Bangkok!). Inside the complex is the Wat Si Muang --- considered the “ancient spirit” of Vientiane.

My tuktuk speeded past the Patouxai on my way to the famous Pha That Luang Stupa (it is believed to contain a hair from Buddha!). The golden stupa is a really a sight --- the whole temple just shines and glistens, like a beam from afar. I went inside for a closer look at the turrets, and well, to check whether it’s really made of gold!

I need a little R&R though after that….. a game of bowling perhaps???? At 10,000 Kip per game, it’s a total steal. I’m out of practice though, after 4 games my arms are hurting like hell but its fun (even if I scored an embarrassing 89 points!).

I walked around after my bowling game, but gosh, the souvenir shops near Vayakorn are too expensive and caters to upscale tourists (which definitely is not ME!). I chanced upon a little bookstore and bought a signed copy of a book by Robert Cooper on the Hmong Tribes --- for only 84,000 Kip!

Okay, ciao! I need to rest and sleep early, I decided o going ahead to Luang Prabang tomorrow instead of staying for another day here in Vientiane.