Vientiane - Ambivalence and Surprise at the Capital - Part 1

Pha That Luang



VIENTIANE WHEN IT SIZZLES

Vientiane. It sounds like one grandiose European name. Then again, it conjures some tacky copycat city. Thus brought my ambivalence in visiting the capital of Laos. Frankly speaking, I wasn’t frothing in the mouth with excitement. Not this leg of my trip, at least. It was something I had to do to “complete” my Laotian adventure. There must be something about this city that made it the capital, instead of the more preferred Luang Prabang. And I was set to find out.

My Vang Vieng bus dropped me in front of the imposing Laos National Cultural Hall, just across the National Museum (along Thanon Samsenthai), I retrieved my backpack and decided where to go. I honestly didn't know where. I had a couple of hotels to check out, but somehow, it didn’t feel right taking a taxi just finding hotels. I'd rather not risk a runaround. A caucasian guy in dreadlocks asked me for some direction. Didn’t he notice my huge backpack and Lonely Planet on hand?

DISCOUNTED!

An hour later, I settled in a relatively pricey (for a backpacking trip, at least) Haysoke Hotel. Room 244 was medium-sized, with a family bed. The split-type airconditioning was new, but needed a better thermostat control. The bathroom was spotless. The walls a tad too thin to hear the Israeli couple arguing next room. The door opened to a common veranda on the second floor where other tourists gather to mingle. All for $15. There were no cheaper nor more expensive rooms in this hotel.

Here’s the rub: They actually charge $18 per room. For some reason, I was given a discount. Maybe they liked me. I am after all one bundle of joy. While waiting for my room ready being fixed, I relaxed at the foyer, it must have taken them15 minutes. I noticed the flurry of backpackers charging in to inquire about the rates. A French couple carrying a warehouse of baggages came by twice. $18! No such luck. I did that myself. The other hotels in the area had their cheapest room at $80! And this wasn’t London’s Oxford Circus nor Madrid’s Gran Via. Instead, think Banawe (street) in Quezon City - with small restaurants and medium-sized buildings. I smiled in spite of myself. Another German couple inquired. $18. An American surfer-looking dude made his way in. $18! They weren’t kidding. Must be the Asian connection why I got the discount. Or could it be I didn't look like I just crawled out of a hole? I can only guess.

After a refreshing shower, I walked along Setthathirat Road. I found a silk shop and bought myself a map at 25,000 kip. A couple of blocks west heads towards the Mekong. I noticed the streets alternately labeled in French (rue), Thai (thanon) and English (road). I made my way to the backpacker street of Rue Fa Ngum which runs along the great Mekong. Backpack guesthouses littered the sidewalk. This was where I was supposed to go, but the taxi driver asked for 40,000 kip - $5 - for the ride, saying it was “far”. Intuition told me otherwise. I knew I was right because the moment I turned away from him, he followed me to the next block with an offer 60% cheaper. I am not fond of people who take advantage of tourists. I’d rather the earth devour me than deal with such opportunistic gargoyles. In fact, the Fa Ngum riverside was just 4 blocks from where my bus stopped! I saw Joe’s Guesthouse (a highly recommended Lonely Planet fixture). Mixay Temple. Wat Mixayaram. There’s the Ong Teu Temple beside Sangha College. Sticky Fingers. Once again, I was beside the great Mekong, which has obviously brought life and development to the rest of Indochina. I’m always humbled in the presence of this great river. There were rows of restaurants and make-shift stalls along the banks. Further south of the Mekong is a dry patch of land called Don Chan Island which has more restaurants serving Lao and continental menu.

CITY HIBERNATION

Unable to withdraw cash from Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, I tried looking for ATM machines in the "big city". Though I still had a considerable amount of cash on hand, as I wasn’t even halfway through my travels, I needed to provide a budget for my Vang Vieng detour, which wasn’t part of the original allotment of expenses. I saw several machines but they were either close or out of cash! It was Sunday, and the rest of Vientiane- from fountains to ATM machines - hibernates. Davao City came to mind. I relayed this to a charming Lao lady with whom I bought my onward bus ticket from, and she replied with a very infectious giggle. She said, “Vientiane is very relaxed and many establishments indeed close on Sundays.” True enough, institutions like temples, stores, museums, money changers were closed. It was like Good Friday in Manila. But then it's just another typical Lao Sunday.

SEX AND THE CITY

I came across an adorable park along Setthathirat Road with benches surrounding what should be the Namphou Fountain. But yeah, even the fountain rests on a Sunday. I noticed a falang (foreigner) and his Lao girlfriend. Unlike Thailand, this sight is not a fixture in Laos. `The locals frown on such “fraternizing”. Their laws prohibit foreigners from having sex with local girls, not that such activities would get broadcasted. It is a grievous offense meted with harsh punishments, and I don’t mean an overnight stay behind bars.

MESMERIZED

I approached a tuktuk to take me to the city’s main temple - Pha That Luang. He asked for 80,000 kip which seemed exorbitant. After a few haggling, we agreed on 50,000 kip ($6.25) return which, looking back, was still too much, since it is only about 2.5 km from where I was. A taxi ride from the city center to the Wattay Airport (4 km) should only cost around $3. Upon reaching the massive grounds, I was in awe. I’d been around hundreds of temples and I should be jaded, but a thing of beauty never fails to inspire.

The temple ground was a vast expanse of red cobble-stones. The three-layered gilded stupa rises up from these grounds, shining proud and mighty. I was mesmerized. I knew I had to visit because the temple shuts down on Mondays. Pha That Luang is a national symbol, the country's most revered religious monument. From the temple, I hiked the nearby temples beside Pha That Luang - Wat That Luang Neua to the north and Wat That Luang Tai to the south. Then I asked my driver to take me back to Patuxai Park, which is 2 kilometers west from the temple. I contemplated on walking, but - heck! – I paid for this ride!

To be continued...



Laos National Cultural Hall

Vientiane Map - The arrow traverses the majestic Lane Xang; the southern end has the Patuxai (#7), while the northwestern end has the Presidential Palace. 4 is the Lao National Cultural Hall.

Wat Mixayaram
Wat Xieng Nyeun


Wat Ong Teu. Thank you very much to my Lao friend who corrected me on this one. I appreciate it.

Wat Ong Teu

Namphou Park and its hibernating fountain

My 50,000 kip tuktuk ride.
Waiting at the bus station.

Pha That Luang - the national symbol and the most important religious monument of the country.

Wat That Luang Neua

Wat That Luang Tai

Fast Facts:
Capital of Laos PDRPopulation: 234,000English Paper: Vientiane Times, which is government-run and not easily accessible everywhere

To our Lao friends:
Some names of temples have probably been mixed up. I would be grateful if anyone can correct them if they are misnamed. Thanks.
Random Expenditures: see next post

South Laos Journeys here:

- Don Kho: http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/02/temple-on-island-called-don-kho-church.html

- Chasing Water Falls and Ethnic Tribes at the Bolaven Plateau - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/02/chasing-waterfalls-ethnic-tribes-nature.html

- Magic and Beauty at the Bolaven Plateau - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/bolaven-plateaus-magic-spellbound-in.html

- Whispery Temples and Smiling Monks in Pakse - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakse-tales-whispery-temples-smiling.html

- Pakse to Champasak Town - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakse-to-champasak-town-lost-in.html

- Lost in a Slumbering Paradise - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakse-to-champasak-town-lost-in.html

The Easy Ride from Vang Vieng to Vientiane

One of the several footbridges crossing the Song River.


COMMOTION

There was a commotion somewhere. Raised voices were provoking each other. I half-consciously reached for my watch. 3 AM. Some people just don’t carry their alcohol well. The rest of Vang Vieng was still dreaming their dreams. The disruptive voices went on for quite sometime making it hard to get right back to sleep. I must have dozed back to a slumber and awoke half past 5. Still too early to be gallivanting about. I sat by my window. From a distance, thick cloud formations encumbered the limestone mountains, while fog swathed the town below like careless brush strokes from a painting.
LEAVING BEAUTIFUL

An hour later, I’ve packed my stuff. I found myself walking the almost deserted high street. I saw a jumbo and commissioned the driver to pick me up from my guesthouse and take me to the bus station at 8AM. He nodded but there was a hint of hesitation in his face. He might not show up, I told myself. I walked towards the river. The pay booth for the Song Bridge was already open. I sat in the middle of the suspension bridge, feet hanging down towards the balmy river. I looked down and thought, boy, it’s a long fall down there. I took a sip from my bottled water and realized something. In all its austere simplicity and laidback composure, Vang Vieng is undoubtedly one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth! There was a regretful persuasion leaving all this awesome beauty behind.

A THAI IN MALAPASCUA

At 8:30 AM, I found myself at the back of a different jumbo (tuktuk) ride along with 2 burly Thai ladies. Yes, burly! Mas malaki pa’ng katawan kesa akin. They were on their way to Luang Prabang. The stockier one told me that she has visited Malapascua Island in North Cebu through the direct Bangkok-Cebu flights of Cebu Pacific. Her eyes gleamed with excitement as she recalled an enjoyable holiday. It was the only place she’s seen of the Philippines. I haven’t been to Malapascua although I’ve thought of the possibilities. One day soon. I am not gonna be a stranger in my own country (and I proudly am not). 

TWO STATIONS

At 9, I was the first passenger waiting for my VIP bus to Vientiane. I presented my bus voucher then I was lead to a minibus. Alone! I asked the driver if I was the only passenger. He nodded. It was highly unlikely, but I really was the only passenger on board, and my minibus pulled out from the station. Sometimes, even when you ask around, you’re still left with a lot of uncertainty. It turns out, I was being transferred to a different bus station that services southbound destinations like Vientiane. The first station was for northbound travels. It was a smaller station in the middle of godknowswhere. There was hardly anything there. No stores. No shops. Just an unfinished house being constructed beside the small station building. The ground was laid with pebbles that made an annoying noise when you step on them. An empty bus was already waiting. I learned from the only person there that the driver was still on his way. Boy, it was 10 PM already. In trickles, the same minibus that took me there brought groups of passengers. Some of these idiot passengers took forever to get to the station, delaying our 10 AM schedule! I took the very first seat, just beside the door. I felt I deserved it, at least for my punctuality. Right across me was a couple with a southern accent. At 10:30 AM, our full-packed bus leaves for the capital – and I can’t wait! This was going to be an easy 3-4 hour ride.

TURN THE RADIO ON

It was a pleasant ride on good roads. I was content just listening to the American couple beside me who was busy annotating what they see along the road, including the types of vehicles, a spectacular waterfall from a mountain, the rows after rows of pineapples being sold, and one of the darkest cauliflower clouds I’ve ever seen. It was a treat listening to them. It’s just like turning your radio on, listening to self-absorbed commentators. They seemed interested on what the other one had to say. A couple like that will never see boredom in their relationship. Not long after, we had a 10-minute stopover. Then there was a heavy downpour! It felt like all of the heavens banging down our bus. And we could hardly see anything from the wind shield! I occupied myself playing Jason Mraz wistfully singing “Mr. Curiosity” over and over. The mood of that song lingers like a sad, albeit hopeful tune. At 1 PM, the medium-sized buildings started to jut out of the concrete. We have reached the city limits. Wattay International Airport. Hotels. Parks. Temples. Newer car models. They streamed through like an ultra-fast slideshow.
It was 2 PM when our bus stopped right in front of the imposing Laos Cultural Hall. I was again in Vientiane. I needed some city vibe.


My morning walk captured these beautiful postcard beauties. The wisps of clouds have cleared by then.







The first and major bus station which services northbound travels.

My first ride from the 1st station to the 2nd where my Vientiane bus was waiting. I was the lone passenger.

The 2nd bus station where my Vientiane bus was waiting. You see the ticket counter (no one bought a ticket from there since most passengers get their tickets from the 1st station) and a WC (toilet). No one was allowed to use their toilet. Not I nor a Ukrainean fellow. They should have just locked its door. Silly people.

The view is breathtaking even from a deserted bus station.

Fast Facts:

Distance from Vang Vieng to Vientiane – 156 km. or 3- 3 ½ hours of travelDistance from the town center to the bus station – 2 km

Current Bus Ticket Service Information:

Minibus to Luang Prabang – $13.75 or 110,000 kip or PhP619. Bus leaves at 9 AMExpress Bus to Luang Prabang – $13.15 or 105,000 kip or PhP591. Bus leaves at 10 AMNormal Bus to Phonsavanh – $10.65 or 85,000 kip or PhP479. Bus leaves at 9:30 AMMinibus to Vientiane – $8.75 or 70,000 kip or PhP393.75. Bus leaves 8 AM and 9 AMExpress Bus to Vientiane – $7.50 or 60,000 kip or PhP337.50VIP Bus to Vientiane - $16.25 or 130000 kip or PhP731.25

Heavy downpour on our way to Vientiane.

Random Expenditure:

· Jumbo ride from the town center to the bus station – $1.25 or 10,000 kips or PhP56.25
· VIP bus from Vang Vieng to Vientiane - $16.25 or 130000 kip or PhP731.25

WATTAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - VIENTIANE

Vientiane’s airport is located 4 kilometers from the center, relatively nearer to the city center compared to the other airports in major Asian cities. Taxis charge a flat rate of $5 from Wattay to anywhere within the city limits. Trips to the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge 1 charge $9. A French guy I met shared that he just walked about 500 meters out of the airport grounds to the nearest street where he was able to hail a jumbo for $3. From the city center, taxis can be hailed from about the same amount. Way cheaper if you take the bus from Talat Sao (Bus) Station – the market station – via the Phon Hong Bus which charges a measly $0.20 or 1,600 kip or PhP9 stopping right in front of the Wattay, which is run by the Laos military. There are very few airlines – 6 to be exact – flying to and from Wattay, thus the expensive plane fares of plane travels to Laos. Visas are available on arrival.

Departure tax: $10 (80,000 kip) for international flights, and $0.38 or 3,000 kip for domestic flights, although most flights now have incorporated this to a purchased ticket.

Military-run Wattay International Airport

South Laos Journeys here:

- Don Kho: http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/02/temple-on-island-called-don-kho-church.html

- Chasing Water Falls and Ethnic Tribes at the Bolaven Plateau - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/02/chasing-waterfalls-ethnic-tribes-nature.html

- Magic and Beauty at the Bolaven Plateau - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/bolaven-plateaus-magic-spellbound-in.html

- Whispery Temples and Smiling Monks in Pakse - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakse-tales-whispery-temples-smiling.html

- Pakse to Champasak Town - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakse-to-champasak-town-lost-in.html

- Lost in a Slumbering Paradise - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakse-to-champasak-town-lost-in.html

Food Trip in Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng

Posting these culinary delights is always such a pleasure. Could travel be as fun and adventurous without the gastronomic and gustatory experience to be had in these interesting places? They’re more than half the thrill as I partake the delicious and the not-so-delicious; the not-so-pricey and the dirt cheap. Here are a few of those which I was able to document. Several have not been documented out of the urgency of an appetite. Ha ha ;-> Bon appétit!


Fried chicken with vermicelli soup (the microscopic chicken bits are somewhere in the mix), Phousi Guesthouse and Restaurant, 20,000 kip ($2.50). Pepsi was 4,000 kip ($0.50). It took me half an hour to decide where to have this meal coz there’s so much option. This is located at one of the side streets of Sisavangvong; one which leads to the Mekong riverside.

Phousi Guesthouse and Restaurant



A sidestreet of Sisavangvong where Phousi Restaurant is located.

A sticky rice cake with a very tentative taste. You need to dunk it into any of the sauces provided. 10,000 kip, 2 pieces.

Bakery Restaurant and Guesthouse. A favorite hang out and dining place along Sisavangvong.

My 27,000 kip ($3.38) meal at the Le Tam Tam Garden Restaurant; Coke at 8,000 kip ($1); steamed rice at 5,000 kip ($0.65). It is delicious as it looks. My dessert was dragonfruit. I bought a pineapple pie for 5,000 kip and forgot to take it along with me.

Le Tam Tam Garden Restaurant and Guesthouse, Sisavangvong Road. Laos people are a brilliant culinary people; the way they mix their spices, vegetables and garnishes.

Luang Prabang’s dragonfruit has a purplish juice which stains your hand and lips. It took several vigorous washes before I was able to remove (not completely) the reddish stain. A dragonfruit I bought from the Robinsons in Manila has an offwhite or colorless flesh and Laos’variety is way sweeter, juicier and messier to eat. Price: 5,000 kip per piece ($0.65)

Fruits galore: elongated mangoes, green oranges. Durian, watermelon, lansones, rambutan, mangosteen. Manila mangoes are a lot sweeter. Ask big band crooner and actor Harry Connick, Jr. (last seen in the movie “P.S. I Love You” and “Bug” - and recently had an immensely entertaining concert at the Philippine Interternational Convention Center.)


Stir fried chicken with cashew nuts. Tatmor Restaurant, along Sisavangvong. 20,000 kip ($2.50). Now I enjoyed this meal thoroughly, the taste and crunch of cashew on a fantastic mixture of ingredients and the perfect and mildest of spiciness. As a rule, I don’t like spicy food. But I loved this one. That’s why I was wondering why Tatmor had so few customers.

Tatmor Restaurant, along Sisavangvong. A cozy dining place.

Roast pork, just along the main highway in Vang Vieng. Ang sarap! 14,000 kip ($1.75). Khao nio (sticky rice) is 2,000 kip ($0.25). Pepsi can is 6,000 kip ($0.75). Donuts – 2 pieces,10,000 kip ($1.25). Laos is Pepsi Country. This is probably one of the few places on earth where Coca Cola plays second fiddle to Pepsi. I found that a lot of the locals aren’t very familiar with Coke. I am a Coke person myself.

Pork rice meal. Bus stop, Vang Vieng, 15,000 kip ($1.88). A horrendous meal that needed bone crackers.