Vientiane,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Saturday, November 29, 2008
After the excitement of Vang Vieng we poured ourselves onto the bus heading to the capital of Laos, Vientiane. This bus ride was probably one of the most scenic and best of the trip. The air outside was cool so we could open the windows and feel a real breeze rather than disgusting AC . The views from the bus were beautiful. The jungle up in the mountains and the rivers below were amazing, and the Laos kids who chased the bus were so adorable was once again attempted to kid nap... but the best thing about the ride was that it was short and we made it into Vientiane before dark. Found a really nice hotel right in the centre of town. Reminded me of a small European city, as it was a French colony at one point and the influence is still very apparent. Lots of expats with their families here. We ate a really good dinner, wandered the town a bit and packed it in early as we were all in pretty rough shape. The next morning we sadly said goodbye to our month long travelling partners Daryl and Mike as the flew to Hanoi to start their Vietnam journey (I was a bit jelous). The three of us then ate at this scrumptious Scandinavian bakery and I did a walking tour of the city on my own. Very pretty place. Not a lot to do, but everyone is very friendly and it was still so refreshing to not be hassled all the time like you are in Thailand. The three of us then hit the internet, only to find out about the madness gong on in Bangkok (Vang Vieng had no power for the last few days we were there). Suddenly it looked as though our plans to meet up with the parents and Nadia's flight home were all up in the air. But we had already booked our bus tickets and so we snacked ourselves up and boarded the bus to Bangkok. I had a bad feeling the whole time, and wished I would have listened to it, but oh well... to BANGKOK....
Just a few words on our short time in Laos... if I can leave you with any recommendations it would be to go to Laos. The country is so beautiful and the people are the most kind and helpful people I have met on this trip. As it is one of the poorest countries in the world, you would expect a lot of begging and what not. We hardly experienced anything of the sort and I actually cannot recall being asked for money once on the street. Laos has been given a bad name by the west, but I felt completely safe walking alone, day or night. Obviously we were in touristy areas, but the vibe that each town gave out was laid back and comforting. The kids were adorable and loved to wave and play with us (a side note of some of the cutest two kids I've seen... One was a 3 year old who loved to show off his new toy, a huge dead grasshopper he had tied to a string and made hop... and a little boy in LP who was helping fix a scooter with his plastic toy screwdriver. He loved to pose for pictures). Even though these people had hardly anything to their name, they seemed so happy and so in love with their families and country, and would jump at the chance to show it off to us. I wish I could have spent more time there, but I know I will go back for sure.
