Legend: 1 – Hoong Thip Hotel, 3 – Leena Guesthouse, G – riverside benches overlooking the Mekong and Mukdahan across, 4- Dinosaur Museum, 10 – Post Office, 1 – Bcel ATM Machine, 11 – Savannakhet Hue Trade Center, 17 - Wat Rattanalangsi (near Leena GH), 16/18/19 – other wats, 3 – ChurchSavannakhet is not a pretty place. Not by physical structures, natural endowments or cultural proclivities. It doesn't have the trappings of a bustling metropolitan either. In fact, the term “hustle and bustle” will never apply when describing this beautifully named city. I sparingly use “city” solely for official reasons.
The city sits placidly beside the southern grandeur of the Mekong. And navigating around Savannakhet would entail a little leap of faith to appreciate it. The few temples dotting the dusty grounds are even unremarkable.
FINDING A RIDE
It was 4AM when my bus pulled into the Savan Bus Terminal. I figured staying for a couple of hours wouldn’t hurt until daylight comes. By now, I have mastered the art of getting myself preoccupied, letting time fly in the midst of my solitary ruminations. At 6 AM, I went to a tuktuk driver and asked how much it would cost me to go to Leena’s Guesthouse. He said 20,000 kip ($2.50 or P117.50). That didn’t feel right. Even Vientiane’s point-to-point tariff only asks 15,000 kip – and this is far from being the capital. I won’t even haggle this early so I left and approached another who asked for half the price - 10,000 kip ($1.25 or P58.75). I am not fond of locals who see tourists as a walking monetary unit. Besides, I could pass for a Lao! I hauled my backpack into the tuktuk then we scampered through the stretch of Chow Kim Road. At this hour, everything felt calm and the air was fresh and clean.
A LONELY PLANET RECOMMENDATION
Leena’s Guesthouse is tucked away from the main drag of the city. Lonely Planet (LP) has a knack of recommending great but far-off dwellings, and this is one of it. I would have thought that a great recommendation would have to consider not just the price and amenities, but its accessibility and distance from the city center. From the main road, my tuktuk made a right, and from a side street, he further drove through a smaller street that lead to a compound - Leena’s Guesthouse. I chose a fan room that stood solitary between 2-storey buildings. No next door noise. Before my tuktuk (which they call sakai laep in this area, which funnily translates to skylab, much like the skylabs-motorcycle rides of Mindanao) left, I asked him how much he would charge for a return trip to the That Ing Hang , which is a revered Buddhist site way off the city limits. He said 130,000 kip ($16.25 or PhP764). I haggled and got it down to 100,000 kip ($12.50 or P600). This is still a far cry from Lonely Planet’s suggested haggle-price of $8, but then books don’t always reflect reality. (Or it might be that my LP is simply outdated. I bought this one for a measly $8 on my way to Halong Bay last March.) Anyway, I told my driver to pick me up at 8:30. I needed to freshen up, shower off, charge my batteries (cam, cellphone, myself) and maybe take a nap – a tall order for 2 hours, but hey, I just got off a 450 kilometer ride from the arctic, remember?
Wat Rattanalangsi - This Wat is conveniently hidden in some side street near Leena's Guesthouse. This was built in 1951 and houses he monks' primary school. The ordination is quite unique coz it has glass windows. Most temples are unglazed. The sermon hall has a 15m reclining buddha which I wasn't able to see coz it was closed that time. It took me awhile to get this shot!
Brahma shrine of Wat Rattanalangsi. |
| Shrine offerings sold by the roadside much like our palaspas. |
NO HAGGLING
I am not the haggling type of guy. I get embarrassed doing so, I dunno why. Everytime my mother haggles, I shrink into a 3-inch troll. Most times, when I don’t get the price that I expect, I easily move on and look for another. That way, no time wasted for both the seller and myself. I think I have somehow learned the art of haggling - out of necessity.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK – THAT ING HANG
Most of my morning was spent at the That Ing Hang, which is an adventure in itself since it is off the beaten track and not a very cheap endeavor. The place is the second holiest religious edifice in southern Laos after Wat Phu Champasak further south. The Buddha is believed to have stopped there when he was sick during his wanderings back in the ancient times. He rested (ing) by leaning on a hang tree (thus its name Ing Hang). The relic of the buddha’s spine is believed to be kept inside the thaat. Having mentioned that, I shall post a separate piece on That Ing Hang to highlight the site. However, I am posting 2 sample photos from Ing Hang here.
From Ing Hang, it took me forever to explain where I wanted to be dropped off. He didn’t understand what I was saying. I wanted to visit the Savan Tourist Center located in the city center. He asked a few bypassers and they huddled in perplexity. I figured it was up to me to perform sign languages, point him to a miniscule map from my Lonely Planet, explain what a tourist office is, and so on. It was at times frustrating, but guess what? We made it there. Before he left, I made another deal for an early pick-up the next day - to take me to the bus station for my border crossing bus to Mukdahan. I like this guy. He is trust worthy and we didn’t deal much with money. It comforts me.
SAVAN TOURIST CENTER
The Tourist Center is a tiny blue-and white office located at a corner street, just a block away from the Mekong. I wanted to check out if they have a complementary map to help me navigate my way around the center. They did! It was a hand drawn map as big as a long bond paper.
It has to be mentioned that this office is famed for their diligent staff and well-organized operations. If only they have the sights to truly back up their very professional operations. Sigh. From the Tourist Center, I walked towards the riverside. There was a railing for onlookers facing the more progressive city of Mukdahan just across the Mekong. However, the Lao side had almost nothing but a Police Station, a guesthouse, a turo-turo restaurant-cum-tindahan.
I am not the haggling type of guy. I get embarrassed doing so, I dunno why. Everytime my mother haggles, I shrink into a 3-inch troll. Most times, when I don’t get the price that I expect, I easily move on and look for another. That way, no time wasted for both the seller and myself. I think I have somehow learned the art of haggling - out of necessity.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK – THAT ING HANG
Most of my morning was spent at the That Ing Hang, which is an adventure in itself since it is off the beaten track and not a very cheap endeavor. The place is the second holiest religious edifice in southern Laos after Wat Phu Champasak further south. The Buddha is believed to have stopped there when he was sick during his wanderings back in the ancient times. He rested (ing) by leaning on a hang tree (thus its name Ing Hang). The relic of the buddha’s spine is believed to be kept inside the thaat. Having mentioned that, I shall post a separate piece on That Ing Hang to highlight the site. However, I am posting 2 sample photos from Ing Hang here.
From Ing Hang, it took me forever to explain where I wanted to be dropped off. He didn’t understand what I was saying. I wanted to visit the Savan Tourist Center located in the city center. He asked a few bypassers and they huddled in perplexity. I figured it was up to me to perform sign languages, point him to a miniscule map from my Lonely Planet, explain what a tourist office is, and so on. It was at times frustrating, but guess what? We made it there. Before he left, I made another deal for an early pick-up the next day - to take me to the bus station for my border crossing bus to Mukdahan. I like this guy. He is trust worthy and we didn’t deal much with money. It comforts me.
SAVAN TOURIST CENTER
The Tourist Center is a tiny blue-and white office located at a corner street, just a block away from the Mekong. I wanted to check out if they have a complementary map to help me navigate my way around the center. They did! It was a hand drawn map as big as a long bond paper.
It has to be mentioned that this office is famed for their diligent staff and well-organized operations. If only they have the sights to truly back up their very professional operations. Sigh. From the Tourist Center, I walked towards the riverside. There was a railing for onlookers facing the more progressive city of Mukdahan just across the Mekong. However, the Lao side had almost nothing but a Police Station, a guesthouse, a turo-turo restaurant-cum-tindahan.
Savannakhet Hue Trade Center - most stalls are close. As night time falls, restaurants (like below) come alive!
IN A STUPOR
Savannakhet is a sleepy town. No! Make it a stuporous town. It was a place that time forgot. There’s not even a lot of souls walking the streets so there’s hardly local colour to be observed or enjoyed. It somehow feels like their local inhabitants have migrated elsewhere. People seem to be staying indoors – and a lot of the “stores” (if you can call them that) are close. There is absolutely NO activity around! I was thinking, what a perfect setting for the sequel to “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. I thought even the dead will grow tired here. LOL. I tried looking for one of the few Catholic Churches in Laos but the map would lead me to dead-ends that aren’t supposed to be there, it was frustrating! I found a bench and wrote off my frustration. Here’s what I wrote: “Is it safe? The only way to get hurt here is to die of illness or inflict pain on oneself, which would at least stir activity in this forsaken place. That is, if people would find their way out of their homes to even check on you!” Harsh! But that was how it felt then.
MORE EXPENSIVE
I found a Post Office so I sent a postcard to a few friends. The stamps were more expensive than any of the Lao cities I’ve been to – 7,500 kip ($0.94 or P44). Coke and pepsi in can are also more expensive here at 4,500 kip ($0.56 or PhP26.50). They’re just 3,000 kip elsewhere. For a proverbial ghost town, the cost of living here seems steeper – at least for tourists like myself! I had my lunch at a small store facing the Mekong. How Quaint. It was a Pumpkin dish (10,000 kip or $1.25) with steamed rice (5,000 kip or $0.63). After lunch, I decided to go to the Savan Bus station to buy my Friendship Bridge bus crossing ticket (tuktuk was 10,000 kip).But it was such a disappointment that they wouldn’t sell advance tickets – which is stupid! I wasted my time and money getting there for nothing.
GREEDY LAO!
My tuktuk ride back to the center was even more frustrating. They would ask for 25,000 to 40,000 kip for the same distance that I earlier paid 10,000. Silly greedy idiots. I’d rather walk the whole stretch, so I did. I crossed some street and went through a maze of hinterlands, not actually knowing where I was headed. I just knew I was heading south. After an hour of walking, I flagged down another tuktuk and named my price – 5,000 kip, take it or leave it. I was already being silly. My ride going there was 10,000 – yet I was asking for 5,000. LOL. I went crazy. And succeeded! He nodded and we went back to the city center to buy an SD card for my camera (a Kingston card that you also find here in Manila worth 690 thai baht or roughly $20 for a 1G memory card. Our CD-R King sells 1G cards for just $8.50 or PhP400).
Crumbling colonial buildings everywhere around Savannakhet. 
Catholic Church - St. Theresa's Church
Above: A view of the Mekong facing the Thai city of Mukdahan and the unnamed restaurant where i had Pumpkin Soup 
A quiet corner leading to my room at Leena's Guesthouse
Savan City Park. Just opposite fromwhere I took this photo was my horrific canine encounter. Yeah - who let the dogs out everywhere?
DINOSAUR MUSEUM
Now, Savannakhet is the last place in the world one would expect a Dinosaur Museum. This isn’t the Patagonian desert, is it? But – lo and behold! – one of the city’s pride is their Dinosaur Museum. The reason behind this is that the province of Savannakhet has turned out to be an exciting paleontological treasure – having dug dinosaur bones from 5 sites in the area!. Dinosaur bones have been unearthed and preserved in their museum, located at a colonial building along Khantabuli Road. With a 5,000 kip entrance fee, this is one of the museums that allows you the free use of your camera. The museum artifacts are placed in one airconditioned room. Though the wall displays are a bit tacky, the bones are well preserved, and the people manning the museum are enthusiastic.
SLOWLY CRUMBLING
It was also the perfect time to just roam around the center. Unfortunately, there’s not much to see. The whole city has run-down and crumbling colonial buildings that have seen better days – and they are sadly in various states of decay. Such is the fate of these French colonial structures that despite the resurgence of manual traffic after the opening of the Friendship Bridge 2 last April 2006, not much trading activity or infrastructure boom has happened in Savannakhet. I finally found the Catholic Church – another first visit, another hopeful wish! Hehe. This is where I lay my dreams, not in some dried up wells.
HORROR WALK
I came out of the church with lifted spirits. I navigated to where there was a park towards the river. And then hell froze over. About 50 meters from me was a mongrel that was ready to lunge at me. I slowly headed to the right lane but it was fastly gaining momentum. Fuck! There was another dog along where I was headed. And I have never envisioned myself as dog food! Never in my most adrenaline charged nightmares! My heart was beating fast! This was an unprovoked wild beast and it was setting his sights on me! Then the other dog got sidetracked! I saw them in a growl contest - their fiercest towards each other. Much like two predators fighting over a single prey. I made a dash away from my own slaughter house. Phooey! That was a close call!
Tourists! Beware of Laos’ canine dangers!
VAMPIRE CITY
Now, Savannakhet is the last place in the world one would expect a Dinosaur Museum. This isn’t the Patagonian desert, is it? But – lo and behold! – one of the city’s pride is their Dinosaur Museum. The reason behind this is that the province of Savannakhet has turned out to be an exciting paleontological treasure – having dug dinosaur bones from 5 sites in the area!. Dinosaur bones have been unearthed and preserved in their museum, located at a colonial building along Khantabuli Road. With a 5,000 kip entrance fee, this is one of the museums that allows you the free use of your camera. The museum artifacts are placed in one airconditioned room. Though the wall displays are a bit tacky, the bones are well preserved, and the people manning the museum are enthusiastic.
SLOWLY CRUMBLING
It was also the perfect time to just roam around the center. Unfortunately, there’s not much to see. The whole city has run-down and crumbling colonial buildings that have seen better days – and they are sadly in various states of decay. Such is the fate of these French colonial structures that despite the resurgence of manual traffic after the opening of the Friendship Bridge 2 last April 2006, not much trading activity or infrastructure boom has happened in Savannakhet. I finally found the Catholic Church – another first visit, another hopeful wish! Hehe. This is where I lay my dreams, not in some dried up wells.
HORROR WALK
I came out of the church with lifted spirits. I navigated to where there was a park towards the river. And then hell froze over. About 50 meters from me was a mongrel that was ready to lunge at me. I slowly headed to the right lane but it was fastly gaining momentum. Fuck! There was another dog along where I was headed. And I have never envisioned myself as dog food! Never in my most adrenaline charged nightmares! My heart was beating fast! This was an unprovoked wild beast and it was setting his sights on me! Then the other dog got sidetracked! I saw them in a growl contest - their fiercest towards each other. Much like two predators fighting over a single prey. I made a dash away from my own slaughter house. Phooey! That was a close call!
Tourists! Beware of Laos’ canine dangers!
VAMPIRE CITY
This is the Eye in the Sky!
Dinosaur Museum
Fast Facts:
Savannakhet aka Muang Khantabuli
Population: 125,000
The city used to be the French’s largest trading and administrative centre south of Vientiane.
Savannakhet aka Muang Khantabuli
Population: 125,000
The city used to be the French’s largest trading and administrative centre south of Vientiane.
Three-star hotels (the nice looking ones that I saw) – Hoongthip Hotel, Nanthai Hotel
The city center has 4 temples (wats) – Wat Chom Kaew, Wat Rattanalangsi, Wat Sainyaphum, Wat Sayamungkhun
Cheap but yummy Restaurant – 24/7 Restaurant, located along the main city road of Ratsavong Seuk Road. This is owned by a Caucasian guy who closely follows his customers. Beside this restaurant is a convenience store and an internet café, also owned by the same guy.
There is an interesting Korean website containing some photos of hotesl and restaurants that people might derive ideas from. Go check it out: http://www.travelg.co.kr/tg21/savannakhet.html. It's in Korean but some photos are labelled in English.
Random Expenditures
· Tuktuk ride from Savan Bus Station to Leena’s Guesthouse - $1.25 or 10,000 kip or PhP58.75
· Leena’s Guesthouse, fan single room – $5 or 40,000 kip or P240· Hired tuktuk to That Ing Hang – $12.50 or 100,000 kip or PhP600
· Postcard stamp - $0.94 or 7,500 kip or PPhP44
· Coke/Pepsi in can - $0.56 or 4,500 kip or PhP26.50
· Lunch : Pumpkin Dish - $1.25 or 10,000 kip or PhP58.75
· Lunch: Steamed rice - $0.63 or 5,000 kip or PhP29.40
· Tuktuk fare from the Riverside to the Savan Bus Station (at the other side of town) – $1.25 or 10,000 kip or PhP58.75
· Tuktuk ride from Savan Bus Station back to the city center - $0.63 or 5,000 kip or PhP29.40
· Dinosaur Museum entrance fee - $0.63 or 5,000 kip or PhP29.40
· 1G memory card for my camera – 690 baht or $20 or PhP940
· Dinner: Fried Chicken with Garlic and Pepper – $0.63 or 5,000 kip or PhP29.40
South Laos Journeys:
- Don Kho: http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/02/temple-on-island-called-don-kho-church.html
- Chasing Water Falls & Ethnic Tribes at the Bolaven Plateau - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/02/chasing-waterfalls-ethnic-tribes-nature.html
- Whispery Temples and Smiling Monks in Pakse - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakse-tales-whispery-temples-smiling.html
- Magic and Beauty at the Bolaven Plateau - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/bolaven-plateaus-magic-spellbound-in.html
- Pakse to Champasak Town - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakse-to-champasak-town-lost-in.html
- Champasak Town: Lost in a Slumbering Paradise - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakse-to-champasak-town-lost-in.html
Thaat Ing Hang - some 12 kilometers north of the city center.
hello eye, i enjoyed reading this post... that "haggling" bit of your story made me laugh mainly because my mom is exactly like that! =)
ReplyDeletesavannahket is a pretty clean city and i would love to see the dinosaur museum anytime. and about the dogs, i would feel that same "phooey" emotion too if i was there.
these "travelogues" of yours should be published in a lonely-planet-type of material =) good job!
haggling is a mommy duty---i know my mom unconsciously passed it on to us. but yeah there will be times when you lose your energy haggling so you give way to benefit the seller, hehe (if you have a lot of money to spare). think of it as your contribution to their family---they have little mouths to feed para di sasama loob mo if it is overpriced.
ReplyDeletewishing at new churches is also a habit of mine. although some wishes are still work-in-progress, di pa natutupad :0
hey jepay. yeah my mom is an impossible haggler, she embarasses me when she's in her element. I guess a lot of mothers are like her.
ReplyDeletewriting these narratives felt like reliving them again, i was actually exhausted after. lol
hi rics. i have a theory - that probably haggling is actually passed on to their daughters much like diabetes and hypertension are intrinsically passed on by their parents to their kids. but it's mostly a female affliction. the act itself provides a rush when you succeed. its probably not even a matter of whether you have money to spare or not. crazy.
ReplyDeletere:wishes from first church visits - i do wish from them but i never expect them to come true. i sometimes dont even remember what ive wished for. i'm not a big church goer but it is cathartic to visit one.
your activity in that city was dizzying. im not sure if i have such energy.
ReplyDeletepero gusto kong makita yung dinosaur museum. it might be the only one of its kind in Asia.
that golden shrine is so beautiful! :)
ReplyDeletehi. my gf and i will be in laos in a couple of weeks. we will be visiting pakse too but have earlier planned on crossing thailand through the first friendship bridge as we couldn't find much posting on the newer friendship bridge. is it a more convenient crossing? thanks, mate.
ReplyDelete- derek
hey lucy. it was a hectic time. i wanted to finish all that i wanted to see coz i didn't wanna stay too long in the city. it wasn't my favorite place in laos, so i figured i'd better move along somewhere i'd appreciate better. it wasn't that bad though.
ReplyDeletehi acey. yeah it was beautiful. the place is located in a hidden avenue. fortunately for me, my guesthouse was located nearby. i would walk out from the compound and pass by this shrine. so, it wasn't so bad.
ReplyDeletehey derek,
ReplyDeletefriendship bridge 2 opened in april of 2006 connecting savannakhet to mukdahan. it's quite a convenient access to thailand. from the center, you just take a tuktuk to the Savan Bus Station where you can buy your border-crossing bus. There's a bus that leaves almost every 30 minutes from 7AM to 5PM daily.
Upon crossing the bridge, you stop at the Lao Border Office to surrender your white departure card and have your exit stamp - while the bus waits for you; then you ride the bus again that would take you to the Thai Border Office for your entry formalities. BE SURE TO GET YOUR BAGGAGE from the bus coz the thai people will scan it upon entry. Then, head back to your bus. You will travel 15 minutes and head to the main bus station in Mukdahan.
However, if you havent seen Vientiane yet, I suggest that you go see the capital. It has charms of its own. There, you can take the Friendship Bridge 1 to cross to the Thai province of Udon Thani.
Have a safe crossing to you and your gf. You can also email me if you have more questions - email address at the end of each posts.
Hello
ReplyDeleteThanks for visit mi blog!
this post is interesting, the photos is very beatiful, avesome travel..
Greetings from colombia
one thing here: i believe that you can write for a travel book. you're eligible!
ReplyDeletethis is on country i like to visit. thanks for the advance information. i will surely include this tour to my future itineraries. great job.
ReplyDeleteto j.camilo: my pleasure really! thanks for dropping by. colombia in my blogsite, wow!
ReplyDeletehey dong, i dont have the patience of a writer. haha. but thanks for saying that.
ReplyDeletehey LS, you should see laos one day before commercialism ensnares the laidback demeanor of the whole country. have a fun boracay holiday.
ReplyDeletehanap na tayo ng publisher...its time na madiscover ka na! bwahaha :)
ReplyDeleteseriously, you should write a book and share your travels to benefit other local travelers---your pinoy-style humor and sensibilities will surely land the "future" book to the best seller list! LOL