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Published: August 9th 2007
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After the disappointment of the Plain of Jars, there was a temporary divergence of the Anglo-American alliance, with LA Woman heading to Louang Phabang (which she hadn't yet seen) and me going to Vientiane. We arranged to meet up in Pakxe a few days hence.
The bus journey to Vientiane confirmed that Laos people will chunder at the drop of a hat. I watched bemused as pretty much every other passenger threw up at one point or another in the 9 hour journey. Even the guy distributing the plastic bags, who presumably does this for a living, puked. At each food stop the outside of the bus had to be cleansed of lurid streaks of windblown vomit. I have by no means the strongest stomach in the world but the ride was in no way bumpy enough to cause nausea. I can only assume it's down to unfamiliarity with travelling in enclosed transport (as most short/medium journeys would be in open songthaews or motorbikes).
The scenery was picturesque, with the stretch leading up to Phou Koun including driving along the sides and end of a large valley, and just after Kasi there were some jagged mountains unfortunately partly obscured
by the haze. The karst landscape near Vang Vieng looked excellent, and I wondered whether I'd made a mistake in deciding not to stop there, a decision I'd arrived at after hearing how overly backpackered it was. Interestingly, the milestones in the run-up to Vientiane said "Capital City", as though there was the expectation of a name change in the future.
I chose a guesthouse that had been constructed specifically to catch out tall people, leading to me stubbing my toes because I forgot there was a step up to enter the room then bumping my head because I forgot there was a step down from the bathroom. There was also a pair of panties of unknown provenance on the floor.
Vientiane itself is lacking in interesting sights. Its most famous temple, Wat Sisiket, is noteworthy mainly because it was the only one to escape the sacking of the city by the Thais in the early 19th century. The small mitre-shaped niches that cover the cloisters and inner walls of the sim, each containing a pair of small Buddhas, lend it some charm. Nearby is Haw Pha Kaew, described in the RG as a "museum of art and
antiquities" but really just a wat containing a few display cases.
Vientiane also has its own equivalent of the Arc de Triomphe called Patouxai, built in the late '50s to commemorate war casualties. It's not a very elegant structure, though the views of the city from the top are panoramic.
I headed for That Louang at sunset. Though the temple complex had already closed by then, it provided a good backdrop for my 3,978th sunset shot. The open area by the gate was also popular with early evening exercise buffs. Heading back towards Patouxai, I stopped at some dancing fountains that had accompanying music and lighting, plus a cloud of mossies. As I was returning to the guesthouse, I was offered drugs several times, as well as first a tuk tuk and then a "lady" by the same guy.
On my last evening I was given a taste of the rigour with which Laos banks administer their ATMs. Some diligent employee had clearly filled the 20,000 Kip rack in the machine with 10,000 Kip notes and vice versa, meaning my request for 590,000 Kip produced only 310,000 Kip (I'll omit the maths). I attempted to make up
the shortfall by making multiple requests for 10,000 Kip notes (each of which would give me a 20,000 Kip note), but the machine ran out of money - no doubt cleared out by someone who'd noticed the screw-up earlier in the day.
Vientiane didn't leave much of an impression on me. As capital cities go, it was quiet and lacking in attractions. However it was the first place outside of the US in which I've seen Double Chocolate Milanos, so I'll give it a bonus point for that. In fact, possibly the most memorable thing about the place was the vast quantity of aid agencies situated there. For a country of only 5.25 million people, there seemed to be a disproportionate number. It would be interesting to know just what they're all up to.
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Tom Cruise
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Self Portrait
What's with the face and DID I SEE A HAT?