Days 27 & 28 - Vientiane, Capital City


Advertisement
Laos' flag
Asia » Laos » West
February 14th 2018
Published: February 14th 2018
Edit Blog Post

Tuesday After a great night's sleep we are up,ready, and out on the streets of Vientiane by 9am. Most of the sites we want to visit are within comfortable walking distance, we say 'most', more about that later.

First point of interest, the Victory Gate (Patuxai), an oriental version of the Arc de Triomphe, constructed in 1964 from cement pilfered from the Americans, originally intended for an airfield. It was built to honour the lives lost during the Laos civil war. But, due to continuing struggles with the Americans, never quite finished. Impressive none the less and for an entrance fee of 30 pence, you can walk to the top on crumbling but wide staircases. Paula conquers her fears and makes it to the very pinnacle via a narrow spiral staircase and we are rewarded with splendid views of the City, right along Lan Xiang Avenue, all the way back to the splendid Presidential Palace.

Retracing our steps, we locate Talat Sao, meaning Morning Market. The interesting thing here is that the old market has traded for many years on this site, but in the 1960s a multi-storey concrete complex was added. Much of this complex is empty of stalls, many vendors preferring to stay in the shanty area next door. This was similar to what we observed at the night market alongside the Mekong here where the purpose built brick units stand empty whilst the awnings in the park remain full to bursting. There is so much atmosphere in original markets, we don't understand why local planners want to modernize them, if they clearly work - both for Local shoppers and keen Tourists.

Continuing our stroll, we emerge at the edge of the mighty Mekong, along through Anouvong Park, not passing many people at all, very quiet, threading our way back to the restaurant area of Setthathirath road and settle on a Lebanese place for lunch. We are a little bemused as we are stopped more than once and asked for directions to various places. We're sure we don't look Laotian, that must only mean we are starting to look French - sacre blue!

The day is running away from us and the heat rising, so we head back to the cool oasis of our hotel and plan tomorrow, our final day here. Wednesday Museums!Up early, a good Continental breakfast inside, we make our way to the National Museum. Paula has read that the collection includes a couple of the Phonsaven stone Jars, and as our itinerary doesn't allow us a trip there, thinks this will be our only opportunity to see them. We arrive after a 15 minute stroll, incorporating part of the Old Quarter, and discover 'That Dam', a strange conical tower, partly restored, set on a tidy manicured roundabout, to find the museum is closed, really, really closed and has been relocated some 6 km further out of Town.

We decide to visit the COPE (The Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise) museum first, which is on our priority list, leaving the National until a little later. Another 20 minutes walking with a small diversion into the morning Market, zigzagging past the old bus station, which is predictably manic, we arrive at this center for the amputee victims of the American secret war. Here the victims of the terrible indiscriminate bombing campaign, and later the unexploded anti-personnel mines, are fitted with prosthetic limbs to replace those lost to the cluster booms which were liberally sown across all of Northern Laos. The center, which was created in 1996, represents the organization that reaches out to remote villages to identify and help amputees and disabled, old and young, to help them towards a degree of self-sufficiency, independence and self-respect. A very humbling experience. Although there are around 3,000 Laotians working to clear the remainder of these unexploded devices, to date, less than 0.1% of affected areas have been effectively cleared. It's an important ongoing task and is always in need of funding and although cluster bombs were outlawed by the U.N. some years ago they are still lying dormant ready to maim or kill in large swathes of Laos and Cambodia.As these self same victims are there in the flesh for fittings and other treatments we come away in a reflective and somber mood.

Outside, as we still have no real idea where the newly sited National Museum is, we opt to take a Tuk Tuk and feel we are being overcharged at USD 6 one way as " oh very long way, over 5 Kilometers", well it was more like 8! Yes, it has been re situated, miles from the center. After a good 15 minutes ride in a vehicle whose brakes are down to the metal and sound like a bad day at a the Dentists, the driver pulls over and signals for us to get out. We spot a very grand entrance drive, spanned by elaborate crested gates, only to be stopped by a lady driving out who informs us" it's closed", yes in fact it hasn't even opened yet and is many weeks from being ready. Shame the sign on the old place didn't mention that.

However, the highlight being that there are no fewer than THREE STONE JARS, yes 3! on the lawns in front of the entrance staircase, so we can say we've actually seen, touched and wondered at these artifacts. We are told that the huge building next door is open though, so as we are here, we walk across and Paula recognizes it as Kaysone Phomvihani memorial museum, an Ego trip to the late president and founder of Communist Laos. We suspect that's why we weren't informed about the National being closed earlier, to bump up the number of visitors here - we are the only two today, outnumbered by the staff!

As we were there we paid our £0.50 each and had a quick wander around followed the whole way by a guide. Anyway, usual anti imperialist stuff and lots of emotive statues, paintings and Old French and American armaments but it whiled away half an hour and made use of our wasted journey. So, we have a bit of a trek back to civilization, town centre area and it's hot! We're basically on a dual-carriage way heading out of town, and while we know how to get back, it's a very long way in over 30degrees Celsius.

We've been plodding along for about 5 minutes when a Jumbo Tuk-Tuk pulls alongside. He has one passenger and gestures us inside. We're whizzing along and neither of us know a). How much we've agreed to pay for this rescue ride, and b). Where the heck is he's taking us? These questions are unaskable and so we sit and hold on, trying to enjoy the ride, at least we are heading in the right direction. A few minutes later and we stop to pick up another 4 people. It is now hot and cozy. Things seem fine until we reach the Victory Monument where we go sharp left away from our direction, luckily before panic sets in we turn back right and recognize the back of the night market where we are politely but firmly dumped!

Well, we are nearly back in our surroundings and the 10 minute stroll won't be a drag. Lessons to be learned! We must emphasize that although this journey seems a bit reckless, we never worried for a single second. Especially here in Vientiane, the Capital City, there is a feeling of well-being. Laos People are diminutive in stature, but are gentle, friendly, polite and respectful by nature. The women are especially charming, most opting for traditional wrap round skirts, or pha sins, with fitted jackets in beautiful vibrant colours, both in fine silk and of woven cloth.

The City center mostly comprises of one-way traffic regulations, far easier to amble round, and in the main even the 2-wheel vehicles adhere to this, unlike their neighbours. Many green areas, clean pavements and tree lined avenues give a spacious feel to its main streets, and we like it a lot.

Quick baguette lunch near our hotel, then back to make notes and read the beguiling Vientiane News! The first Proper English Language Newspaper. There are all manner of interesting articles to be read, not least the headline 'Preventing Social Problems Together on Valentine's Day'. Apparently, many types of crimes are reported on this day and People are therefore urged to be alert during celebrations to prevent many crimes, such as fights, rapes and drug abuse, together with road accidents. Everyone is encouraged to look out for early stage symptoms! Parents also should educate and caution their children to be alert on this day. There's us thinking it was a day to show affection!

There is evidence of Valentine's Day affection everywhere, many many roadside stalls offering bunches of red roses, huge cuddly fluffy teddy bears and highly coloured ornate packets of sweets to show loved ones how much they mean to one another. Love is in the air. We leave tomorrow morning for Vang Vieng, New Year's Eve in the Chinese, Laos and Thai calendars and we have seen hundreds and hundreds of silk lanterns erected, things are going to get quite lively after we've left, for sure!


Additional photos below
Photos: 14, Displayed: 14


Advertisement



Tot: 0.148s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 9; qc: 46; dbt: 0.0903s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb