Vientiane

I've spent a few days in the capital of Laos now, Vientiane, primarily to arrange my visa for Vietnam. Otherwise i'm not sure i would have spent as long there. Its not a bad place but there is very little to do. It doesnt seem as reliant on tourism as Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang. Also the French influence is much more noticeable here than in other parts of Laos (a former french colony). It almost has the feel of a small European city with its little cafes and the giant boulevard that leads to a copy of the Arc De Triumphe. Yes they have an Arc De Triumphe in SE Asia. All that is missing is the Eiffel tower in the background! The journey here wasnt quite as bad as the trip to VV but that doesnt by any means make it comfortable. Laos roads arent the best so comfort on a journey of any distance is a fantasy. The coach itself looked like it had gone through a warzone recently with cracks in the glass sealed with tar. Im pretty sure the connection between the front and back wasnt the strongest either, the back wheels tended to bounce around a lot... Nevertheless i got to the city centre with nothing more than a sore arse. The first thing that happens when i jump off the bus is i hear my name being shouted across the street at me. This was John, a guy i met in Chiang Rai and had seen briefly in VV when he was running for a bus to here. I sat down with him and his mate Jack and shot the breeze for a bit. I then went and found a cheap hostel and ditched my bag before joining up with them again. It was Jack's birthday so they were going for a few beers to celebrate. Several beers later i wander back to my hostel at the curfew and meet a gang outside it all of whom are staying in the same place. Laos tries to impose a curfew of 11.30 on bars and the bars try to find ways around it. In VV they presumably have a deal with the police since they stay open till 5am. Anyway in Vientiane the curfew is more strictly observed. But i had a nightcap with this gang and we all hit the hay when the night porter threatened to lock us out.

The next day i rise early in order to get to the Vietnam embassy and get this visa thing underway. By the way Vietnam visa is expensive at $50! But i didnt have any problems getting it done, i went in with all the stuff i needed and they photocopied my passport and said to come back tomorrow for the stamp. Happy days :) I decide to treat myself to breakfast around now after taking some pics of the "Arc De Triumphe". Soon enough i bump into the guys i met outside my hostel who are planning to head to Buddha park for the day. Not having any plans myself i tag along. We got on the local bus despite the attentions of some tuk tuk drivers which proves to be a much, much cheaper option. Buddha park is a spot about an hour outside of Vientiane with a load of weird statues drawing inspiration from Buddhism and Hinduism all carved by a crazed Buddhist monk. The centrepiece of the area is a giant urn-like statue that you can climb up from the inside and sit on top. After wandering around the park for a while it was nice to sit up here and chill out. Some of the group were heading north that evening and a few others were doing it in the morning so those of us that were left had some food and beer that night and had a good laugh.

I rise early again in order to get to the embassy and get my visa which turns out to be a generous two weeks more than i need. At this hour there was nobody around so i decide to get a closer look at the A de T (or Patuxay as its known in Laos). Beside it is a big important looking building as well so i got some nice pics, especially since i could climb to the top of the Patuxay. This is swiftly followed by breakfast and a trip to the big temple in the heart of the city. It was a temple and ive seen my fair share of these so i was hardly blown away by it (its no white temple). I followed this up by getting my bus ticket to Hanoi for the following day (22 hour journey) and took it easy for the rest of the day. Tomorrow evening i catch that bus so i'll sign off here with my final thoughts on Laos. Its not as touristy as Thailand, travelling around it is a pain and the currency is annoying. Curiously it is a little more expensive than Thailand which i wasnt expecting. Besides all that its a nice place. The people are friendly without being too in your face and it is full of beautiful scenery. I enjoyed my time in Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng and Vientiane was a nice come-down from all the heavy drinking i did in those two. I didnt get to see the Plain of Jars or 4000 islands so there is still more of the country for me to explore if i come back to this part of the world. I think Laos will only get more touristy from here on in and may become a little like thailand. In a sense that is a pity as Laos has its own rugged charm just the way it is.