Dithering about Accommodation
Trip Start
Jan 09, 2009
1
13
44
Trip End
Feb 23, 2009
Pakse, Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
KIds Playing Near Guest House
. Let's continue. So, let's change the tack for a bit. Every nation around the globe right now is at war with every other nation; persons are at war with other persons. When you read these words, you'll think,"every nation around the globe right now is at war? How can this be? Is this guy a crank?" No, not really, when you see things with new insight, not merely intellectually with brain cells that have been mechanically dulled, but actually, as something revitalized. Hmm, it's going to be difficult for you to capture these words, other than as a dead concept, isn't it? Nations, historically, economically, monetary, culturally, linguistically, are at war. Peoples are envious, jealous, strive to exclude each other while striving egotistically for competition. Why? To make themselves more and more 'secure,' which, paradoxically, makes them less and less. Because of this, the world structure between nations is purposefully imbalanced. It's partly designed that way. Don't look at the words of the writer intellectually, but look within yourselves, as an actual fact.
And to illustrate this, I'm English. The guy I shared the sleeping berth with, is French. My country and his have had a long history of conflict, linguistically and territorially:
"Your English?" His tone wasn't exactly friendly
Typical Courtyard - French Style
. "Yes," came my reply.
"I can't speak English that well," which was an excuse to continue speaking to his fellow compatriots on the bus or in Pakse in French. The English are notoriously lazy at learning languages. The French resent us because while we don't learn theirs, they grudgingly think they have to learn ours. We spent some of the journey fighting (suggestively) over adequate use of the shared duvet cover.
Then there's the mysterious monetary duality between Laotians and Westerners. It's not really monetary; it exists anyway, but it plays a part. Why do Laos people behave this way? Is it the climate which lazily conditions them into inactivity? Are they hopelessly outclassed by more competitive neighbors, China and Vietnam? What else is there except to exploit from dollar-rich Westerners.
Newcomers, of course, don't know places like Pakse from Adam, and the tuk tuk drivers take advantage of this, particularly when the bus lands you there in the dark. Me, another French guy and a Chinese girl were momentously pressured by one tuk tuk driver who lied by saying Pakse town centre was eight kms from the station, when in fact, it was only three. Anything, again, to sponge in the cash.
It sped off: right, left, right, until we got dropped off at the first guest house
The Heat Takes its Toll
. Inquired, was full, so pottered around looking for another. We'd arrived too early, so it took some time to find a suitable abode. We went, first, to the Phousavanh Guest House; residents hadn't checked out, so no rooms available. We considered a Chinese hotel on the town's main street, decided to consider it later: another hotel, rather shabbily, stood out on a corner with a restaurant at the front: "Thirty-five thousand Kip per room," the receptionist declared.
We looked at the rooms; clean, rather dismal, outside bathroom.
"May call back later."
The other two made me dither and procrastinate. We decided on the Phousavanh, just off a dirt road, although we had to wait for the rooms to be quitted and cleared, before we could take one up. The foyer felt like a piece of action from Grand Central Station; human traffic trafficking in then out, and the French guy I ubiquitously shared the bus sleeping berth on the way down here, also checked in. 170,000 Laos Kip wasn't too bad: air con, TV, built-in bathroom, tonnes of hot water, double bed.
I strolled around the town which is virtually non-descript, apart from it straddling the Mekong, not to mention a few buildings built in the French style
Motorbikin - although "No Chinese!!"
. I popped into a travel agent to ask about ways and means to get to the '4000 Islands.' I dithered about that too, and decided to book a passage to Siem Reap after a sojourn on the 'Islands' at the hostel. 360,000 Kip was over-priced but included the ferry crossing too and from the Islands to Nakasang, bus to the Laos-Cambodian border, another bus onwards. I could stay on the 'Islands' for as long as I wished and arrange to move onwards. More about this later.
I sauntered through a shopping mall. I'd left my grubbyish-looking baseball cap in the bus down from Vientiane, so decided to buy a new one. Wonders may never cease, I actually managed to bargain:
"18,000 Kip," a stall seller responded after I was attracted to a beige variety.
Before I had any time to consider the price, she took a calculator and totted up a new figure:
"15,000...Kiiippp! Kiiiippp!" she strangely rasped.
I handed over the money without hesitation. I couldn't believe Laos people can actually cave in to such practices.
I washed a T-shirt through; it gets sweaty down in these parts, as well as a pair of pants, hung them out to dry on the floor veranda, and watched a couple of female fruit and veg sellers visit or turn up, faces almost obscured by their broad conicled hats
A Temple Spectacular
. Their baskets were suspended from their shoulders in true Laos fashion. And a true taste of Laos, to boot. Back in the town, I watched a group of orange-robed monks attend class, and saw a restaurant store hiring motorbikes for around 80,000 Kip. Everyone is welcome, although 'no Chinese,' a sign read. Given the number of motorbike crashes in China, it figures.
The French guy I joined up looking for accommodation in the morning had booked a ticket on a long distance bus to Bangkok. His Chinese companion had some unexpected family crisis, so had to fly back to Kunming.
"Getting robbed in Cambodia isn't likely," remarked another tourist in a Net cafe in the town,"although you may get ripped-off when booking a bus ticket," much to my relief. That Brit in Vientiane who spoke to the contrary, was certainly full of loaded baloney.
Oh, and by the way, the digressing drivel written earlier in this post has paled into insignificance. I'm sorry if any readers find it irritating and irrelevant. Hope it won't prejudice your enjoyment of these post, if that is what they are providing.
