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Published: January 29th 2007
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Beer Lao- The Beer Around Here!
Nothing better after a hot day out touristing than a swin then a couple of quiet cool ones by the pool. We took a flying visit to Vientianne- sadly time didn't allow for more touring around, but maybe next time (it would certainly be worth it!)
Laos is, of course, an ex-colonial and ex-communist country (although apparenlty a lot less ex-communist!) The French influence is still there with some gorgeous colonial architecture although many of the mansions look really run-down and lacking the care one feels they deserve. It is still evident in other ways, too- our place was called 'Le Parasol Blanc'.
Although we didn't go outside the town there was plenty of interest to occupy our two laid-back days.
One of the funniest incidents was at the bank where I went to cash some $$ for Lao kip. This was maybe a silly decision, but I felt that the rounding process by traders who I had haggled a price with in Thai bhat (they will accept Thai bhat and $US and make the conversion on their calculator) might be diddling me a bit so I decided I'd use kip. While I was waiting to be served I saw a young couple of local guys wearing day-glo vests go up to the counter to collect their cash. It
Patouxai Memorial Arch
The Patouxai (various spellings) Memorial Arch commemorates the end of French colonial rule. It is in the middle of a very broad, European style boulevarde and offers great views of the city of Vientiane. came in two bales of notes measuring about 50cm x 50cm x 50cm. These they simply popped into a couple of plastic shopping bags, walked out and got on a 250cc motor-bike and shot off! I reckon the value of the bales would have been no more than $500 given the conversion rate of $ to kip. At that time 1 $NZ was worth about 7000 kip!!! While they have some
VERY high denomination notes, you will always end up carrying a wad you can choke a bull with!! Still, it was funny to see that, and it was fun haggling in and using their currency.
Patouxai (Patuxet) Memorial Arch is a notable feature. It celebrates the end of French colonial rule and while having obvious similarities to the Arc d'Triomphe, it is very much Asian. You are able to climb to the top observation decks to get great views of the city, and there is a gallery halfway up that has a number of stalls selling Laotian arts and crafts, as well as the inevitable cheap t-shirts, etc..
Just down the road is the Morning Market- (strange name, the place is open all day!) There's plenty to
Morning Market
The Morning Market (open all day) is an interesting place to spend a couple of hours. You will find all sorts of bargains from gold and gem jewellery to cheap and tacky 'momentoes', from brilliant silk to cheap lable-copies. interest the tourist shopper but even more interesting (and testing) is the use of Lao kip prices!! (Not all sellers have just kip prices, they will usually also have prices in Thai bhat.) It's not as much fun haggling here as it is in Thailand, but don't ever pay the posted price!! You'll be surprised how effective the "No thanks" and back turn to walk away is to get the bargaining back on track!!
We took a liesurely walk along the banks of the Mekong. What a great river! There are a few places of interest on the river bank, but there was one incident that had me thinking- a couple of school students (in uniform) were speeding down the road that follows the river when the driver saw a ploiceman (also on a 250cc). To my surprise the younf fellow screached to a stop, did a very fast u-turn and tore off up the road. Of course the policeman followed, and I wondered what the upshot of that might be! I had to assume running away from Laotian police would not be a sensible thing to do, but what do I know?
There are plenty of temples
Silk Lao
The morning market has a number of stalls that supply every step in the raw-to-finished silk garment. These illustrate the amazing colours that are woven into the beautiful dresses and robes that are a national garb. around Vientiane (although, obviously, there is nowhere near as high a proportion of Buddhists as across the border. I wonder how many may have been 'closet Buddhists' during the communist years and are now openly practising their religion?) There are ancient ruins as well as active temples that are very picturesque with fantastic artworks and architecture not too dissimilar to Thailand. I had a nice interlude at one temple where a senior monk was taking a class in English and when I greeted him he invited me to spend some time with the young monks to give them a chance to use their knowledge. They were so eager to learn and it was a nice time. I hope I did a wee bit of good.
The people who we met while we were there were a mix of reserved, officious, cheerful, or sullen. I suspect many of the officious and sullen are people who had a good life under the communist regime and haven't made the transition to 'democracy', while the cheerful are thos are glad to be past the regime years, and the reserved are still getting used to the 'new' Laos. The general impression of the people,
Beautiful Silk
The colours and fine detail in these garments make one drool!!! though, is that they are friendly and just trying very hard to make a living. I think the Laotian ladies are prettier than their Thai neighbours, but this is of course a somewhat dangerous generalisation. (Thai ladies smile a lot more!!)
Food- lovely. You can have it as spicy as you want, and don't be afraid to try everything.
Laos is a country that lots of cautionary tales have been posted about, and I am sure there are places where you need to be a bit careful, but Vientiane is a pleasant, although a bit 'down in the mouth', town. It's a bit grubby and overgrown, but the people make it worth the visit.
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