Chilling in Laos...
Trip Start
Jun 26, 2008
1
18
67
Trip End
Ongoing
Vientiane,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Saturday, July 26, 2008
After landing and we met a couple at the airport who were from Canada but working as teachers in South Korea and on a weeks holiday to Laos. They were really chilled and up for just tagging along and getting to the nearest guesthouse and grabbing a beer, which suited us just fine. We found that the capital Vientiane is pretty small esp compared to the likes of Hanoi and Saigon. Essentially just a few streets of shops and guesthouses, a few temples too that line the Mekong. The four of us wandered on to the streets to find some food and a beer (beerlao - something of an institution here). We ended up at a Indian restaurant and had excellent indian food at relatively inexpensive prices, especially when you consider the final meal at Old Hale Way which was 80 quid!
From here to the river front and cheaper beerlao (660ml bottles at 10000kip = $1.20) with light twinkling over the river, getting to know our new mates.
The following day was pretty chilled too, as we were up for getting into the spirit of the country which is very very laid back. We went wandering around the capital seeing some of the ancient temples and then a large air condtioned shopping mall. A few hours wandering around here with waffles to sustain us saw Kim with a new pair of sunglasses and me deciding whether or not to buy an iphone for sixty quid. From here we went to one of the main attractions, a replica of the 'arc du triumph' with Lao styling in concrete which sits on the main roundabout on the main road through the city. Inside sells tradition Lao faire (fabrics and baskets etc) with stunning panoramic views overlooking the city. We got chatting to a monk who was eager to practice his already excellent english, even inviting us back to his temple. In the evening we met up with the guys we had met on the plane and went for more Beerlao and excellent food on the riverfront whith whole grilled (live) tiger prawns and other seafood - surprisingly good and fresh for a landlocked country. The following day we had booked a tour as we wanted to get away from the city and see some of the jungle we had flown over and some of the local wildlife. We booked a tour with a recommended local agency which support the local community and the hertige sites throughout the country. Two days of jungle trekking with an overnight stay at the 'elephant tower'. An elevated platform near a salt lick that is frequented by the local elephant population. With promises of 50:50 chances of seeing the elephants i wasn't particularly hopeful but kim was v excited as you can imagine. After this we headed back with an early start ahead...
