Vientiane, kop jai lai lai

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This is a place that's often left unrecommended by visitors, not many rave about it; books and people would say ah two days is enough. And we didn't expect to stay, it was a tactical point to open up more southern Laos for us, we were happy and exhausted leaving the stunning Nong Khiaw! And here, we actually stayed a week, it would be our last Laos stop. We found many gems, un-postcard worthy perhaps, but cherished artifacts for our memories. Maybe we like underdogs. Vientiane.

What we found here -

- Korean food! Oh my, so good. Three nights we'd go for a different Korean restaurant and were so treated with Bibimbap in stone bowl, spicy kimchi stew, the delightful little Banchan dishes which are topped up throughout, and the yummy black rice, the cabbage leaves to make little wraps.

And other little food stalls that we treasured - the pair who did dough balls and sesame buns, yum. And our Hong Kong kitchen breakfasts, where Dr Siri would also be read (often started by Becca just popping the book on the table, enough said). Possibly the best coffee in Vientiane here too.

- A successful quest for blue hair dying!

It was a long held 'hmm I'd like to do that' thing, perhaps further encouraged by a dream of blue wigs.

And after city ventures for hairdressers and blue dye, via cool city slickers, dye shops and dulex like dye charts, we'd re-found Paris Tony's - we'd spotted the shop and done film style Mafia impressions when we first arrived in Vientiane one very early morning. Which reminds me - sleeper buses! Simply, on the way here we went from thinking we had a very cool night den at the back of the bus, to laying as on-side sardines with three others on a long bumpy night!

So, back to the quest, and my last morning was spent enjoyably companioning my friends through shocking bleach to cool blue, so cool! Seeing Sam's face as he looked in the mirror, childlike excitement, bemusement. Advising the hairdesser to add more blue and where in Becca's hair. Being in a hairdressers again did make me want to chop off, shave and snazz up my new mane! Once hair done, all impressed. They really pulled it off, and in my blue t shirt - I was their biggest fan.

- Though an unsuccessful quest for a piercer! We learnt that piercing is not really accepted in Laos. So, the deal of getting our piercing remains..



- A brilliant bike ride.. along Vientiane's busy wide roads, taking turns to lead and switch lanes. Around the city's own arc de triumph - here we'd stop to venture up, its not the prettiest sight by any means, infact it's own information signs would say as much! And it is constructed by concrete donated by the US for Laos to build an airport here - fair play Laos! (Fact courtesy of Sam) Before heading up the stairs, Sam had time to find a keyboard player in a nook and play himself ('You think that's Sam playing?..' as we turned the corner we smiled to each other, #toomuchtalent.)

After descending the steps and the nice views, we'd find a grassy spot to lay, read our book and chill. Well, Sam reading aloud, us slowly napping off.

It reminded me of summer in London parks.



Continuing on our bikes, we'd drop onto the river paths, green lined and hushed lanes. A stop off for our baguettes by the Mekong, a fisherwoman out front casting nets, as we mirrored our adored protagonist's favourite lunch haunt (much of the book is set in Vientiane). A sweet river spot with Lao pate, salad and chilli paste baguettes, just like Siri does in various chapters, we imagined he was at a spot like this - fishing nets being cast out on their bamboo tripods, grassy banks and such quiet; the occasional dog, bicycle, the heavy sun.




In then entering a river side village, we would find our evening party 😊 A lovely group, rolling into their night with afternoon beers and giggles, called us over. We had fun chat, cheekiness, endless cheers, and before long Lao moves where being demonstrated by all (we'd picked up a few moves at the new baby celebration in Nong Khiaw) - it is a dance of slow turning wrists and intricate fingers as you move opposite another round a group circle, hands never coming up higher then a 60 degree elbow.

We were certainly getting tipsy together, there was a beautiful sunset, where we were sitting on a deck prodding over the river, and really warm, open, silly characters.



This left us riding home in the dark! Swinging around the river roads and back to our area, ah, a very good day.
So, I guess we'll keep the bikes another day then..




- A real highlight of the capital was the COPE centre. Moving, educational, inspiring. It provides insight into the impact of the US' secret war of ordnance bombing during the 70s, of how people across the country were impacted, and still are with the unexploded bombs scattered across the countryside. The centre provides rehabilitation, support and free prosthetics to victims around the country, with successful education programmes to villages. The documentaries, personal stories, art work, unbiased information on the war and insight into the science of prosthetics and the healing processes were very, very good. And the cinema room, I will remember the three of us here, feeling, taken aback and humbled by the positivity and courage of the Lao.


Two things really stuck in mind from the centre; how those bombs are designed specifically and disgustingly for human damage, they aren't dropped to mark buildings or strategic targets. These types of bombs left Laos the most bombed country per capita in human history and have still been dropped as recent as Iraq, via Kosovo, Libya.. with only slow and long ineffectual international agreements against their use. Secondly, I will remember the guy in the first documentary we watched, hit whilst working in fields, his father had to go buy blood as they were trying to get him to a hospital from the village. He spoke with a poetry, drawing us into his story and way of thinking about it all.


We also found out that the author of our book contributes sales to the centre, Sam sweetly and secretly went and bought us a book present from the series. And my and Becca's hopes to do a 10k run together now had a focus.




- Charming aerobic sessions and wide sunsets on the long river promenade. No cars, joggers, kids running ahead, families, friends, street food.. One evening we'd eat clams (delicious, actually) and larp (delicious, obviously) in one of the open restaurants, a delightful evening.


A long walk to the other side of the promenade one evening, we walked in tandem past the notes playing out of restaurants. And as the path ended, we kept on and found a large open brick bar, a locals boat karaoke with a misshapen heart of candles on the beach. The Mekong continued ahead into the dark beyond the city.




- We made some excellent bar times too..
Jazzy brick, where we swivelled baileys and campari in cool glasses. And wow, baileys is so good! In leather armchairs amongst collected objects, with nuts, we smoothly entered the evening. Then there was Dresden bar, a very suave cocktail bar, 1920s style, whiskeys on the rocks and a real giggle in the ornate room (the toilets also had heated seats). We were an out of place - but in such a good place - team here. Happy times, and knowing our Laos adventure was entering its own beautiful sunset. Whilst outside Dresden, Sam and I would undertake a swing dance lift on the path (likely very visible to the smart guests inside) and (not again?!) we were then called back to pay the bill! Oops.


There was also 'our' sky bar, where we had followed music up to a high storey. Here there would be an electic range of characters (the good, the bad and the ugly) in the busy nest. Over the multiple times we popped here, we'd sit out to the river, play pool and properly dance (quite possibly to a remix of Adele's hello, which was so often on!) - 'shall we go to our bar?'.


One evening here we were joined by a heartbroken Lao woman ('Hi, can I join?.. have any of you ever been heartbroken?'), also called Lee (Li), who sung Adele and a Thai love song to us. As the bar was closing, she'd ask us to come and dance with her - where, we'd ask, at home, she'd say. We politely declined, 'take care and drink plenty of water tonight Li' and headed to get nearer home before the curfew. It wasn't until a few days later when it clicked, walking toward.. aha '@home' - a club! We went in later on..



And how we danced! Sam is an excellent hip hop dancer, with his body popping, waving and a cheeky face appearing between moves. Tonight, he'd show us how to do the 'pizza out the oven and carried away' dance. Brilliant. Sometimes me and Becca would stand there, like pulled back theatre curtains who know better than to try to dance beside him, as people in the room would stop to watch him in motion, with smiles and with eyebrows saying 'wow.


Another night at the sky bar, we noticed on the next table an older western male who was acting with such entitlement and disrespect to two women (from the Philippines, we'd later learn). This is not an unusual thing in southeast asia of course. They seemed uncomfortable as he placed himself at their table and tried to lead a situation his way, pushing himself into their evening. We were uncomfortable, cross at this.. I overhead a terribly bold claim. Looking defiantly over, he then caught my eye and gave a ridiculous face of 'check me out' - enough. I simply said he should let them enjoy their meal, that they may well not want your company, actually.. and asking if they were okay. He stood up, for a second it seemed aggressive and I thought more might happen. Looking up from our table, holding his eyes and staying seated, he asked where we were going after.. an indifferent reply. Off he went in a huff.
Our two tables chatted away, they were a teacher and student celebrating progress, lovely. And we talked about that situation - how it makes them feel, we kind of felt like we had to apologise for that behaviour, but no they got it. And a good evening for all continued.



- The Mekong has wide banks, and one stretch 'Mekong beach' must lead up with 300m of sand before. We could see some shades ahead, not a soul in sight, like a ghost resort. We walked out. Heat wiggles in the air, deserted boats.

We'd been sitting there just minutes when five young boys in smart uniforms rode up on mopeds. They were very sweet, and off their bikes they energetically set about some precise digging. We watched, bemused, curious. Then, treasure revealed! - A football.

We played a game together, short spurts before all jumping under the shade from the red sun. We then all sat on the sand and chatted, swapping animal names and noises from our respective languages. There were four older boys and one younger - a younger brother. 'Whats the time?' one asked - Goodbyes, high fives, and off they went on their scooters. You could tell they looked after eachother.



- The huge, seriously huge night market! Evenings were often punctuated with a move through here after sunset and onto dinner.


- Ah! And, how could i forget Chinese new year!!!
After our wonderful new year in Langkawi we'd mentioned a Chinese new year Reunion, imagine..



It was all lining up well, we were back together, onto Vientiane which was noted as a great spot to celebrate. Chinese lanterns were already decorating some streets when we arrived, and the city had a plethora of Chinese restaurants and residents. Oh it was going to be some night! The morning of we were awoken by the pou-ding of Chinese drum practice. A good sign for later festivities.
We'd been told (by one of our village party people) of the city's China Town out in the east. So naturally, we got our selves ready (no dinner needed before of course) and grabbed a tuk tuk - to Chinatown please. Imagining the hub of celebration, Chinese food, decorations, fireworks..

But we found that our journey seemed to be heading away from the flurrying streets, from lights, people, from the crammed centre traffic.. hmm. Expecting life to reappear soon, surely? Our driver kept going after we tried to confirm, so we thought we'd 'sit back relax and ignore all doubts.' The tuk tuk slows, okay, and here we are - The Chinese Power Company - oh! A big corporate office block, behind gates, naturally closed, though its sign was rather bold and celebratory.

So no new year celebrations for us tonight! I can't remember now what we did that night once we got back central, it might have been a shop bought wine and late night takeaway chips from a bar night, or a giggly chilled one with a little something extra bought from a tuk tuk driver. But on asking we found out that there had been fireworks last night, we thought we had heard soomething, and tonight the events stopped about ten. D'oh!



But on a Chinese new year positive, we could confirm our Chinese years. I was convinced I was a dragon, and Becca was convinced she was a rabbit - but we both knew our younger selves well and guessed we might be saying the ones we had wanted to be! (and still did want!) Aha, we found a horoscope section in a magazine, I read these out as we ate fried rice after dancing @home.. drum roll.. yup, a dragon and a rabbit!

And our horoscopes themselves were excellent, we were going to have life changing moments this very weekend.





Vientiane begun as a stop, but with a closed for fifteen days embassy and with us getting into a real groove here, it turned into a very fine stay.



Infact, on two occassions I made u-turn and decided to stay, ultimately right up until visa expiry. I remember coming back from the bus ticket shop, 'guys we worked it out, bus is booked for tomorrow, I'm staying tonight!' Yay indeed.

Our last meal together would of course be Lao, a delicious larp, our staple of sticky rice, top of the range spiciness and a vegetable jeow. Perfect.

Catching the blue triumphs on my friends heads, our big smiles and knowing nods of how hard is was to depart again. I would miss them very much, we had been - ah, I don't have the words - us in Laos. Kop jai lai lai - thank you very much.

There was then a roll call of our haunts on an emotional tuk tuk ride on my way! Till next time guys..

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