Vientiane
I took an overnight bus from Chatuchak Market which cost about 1000 baht with delivery Laos border guaranteed. The bus was ragged and beat up, my chair barely reclined and I was parked right next to the smelly bathroom. I was so tired at this point none of that mattered, I was in and out of consciousness during the drive and finally woke up facing the Mekong River separating Laos from Thailand.
This crossing looks less inviting than the Cambodian borders I’ve crossed, but my visa is up in Thailand so we’re going! I play musical windows at immigration speaking broken English with the staff navigating my visa on arrival, they ask me
“How long will you stay in Laos?”
“How long can I stay in Laos?”
“30 Days”
“Then I will stay for 30 Days”
The officer flashes me a slight grin and stamps my passport. Welcome to Laos!
The area is significantly less developed than bustling Bangkok from which I came 12 hours prior. Its quiet. Untamed. I drag my giant suitcase through the checkpoint and light a cigarette.. I know I’m an easy mark for all the taxi drivers looking to make some money. I let them advance and create a bidding war between them. I choose my guy that spoke decent English offered 300k Kip (About 14.00 USD) to take me to town and shoo’d away the rest. I tell him I have a mission before we get to town. 1. ATM so I can pay him. 2. SIM card so I can call him when I want to go somewhere. 3. Safe delivery to my hotel. I found these requests to be the most beneficial when entering a new country or city. It’s always good to have a friend! We’re driving through the provinces and I’m greeted with the hammer and sickle for the first time in my life. Its interesting that in my American mind that is a warning sign of danger. We have such animosity towards this way of life. Why? Why did I instantly feel uncomfortable seeing this? Something to ponder as I journey into town.
After completing my missions I’m too early to check in, so its time to explore. Walking around is not an easy task. Most of the roads have gaping holes and canals you can easily fall into if you’re not paying attention. The sidewalks if not in the main quarter are in such disrepair or completely non existent, so you’re sharing your path with everything with an engine. Its not as green here and there are hints of French influence throughout the town. I walk and find a cute cafe to grab brunch and continue exploring. When I stumbled into what seemed to be a mall but not a single name brand store. It was 5 stories tall with many mom and pop shops selling anything from gold to kitchenware. I was the only foreigner there and people seemed legitimately inconvenienced by my presence. It’s interesting when I come across this subtle hostility, these attitudes have developed for a reason, but getting to the reason and changing someone’s mind is sometimes difficult. I don’t let it bother me and continue to explore the area.
Vientiane is run down. Its old. My hotel is decrepit, with fresh paint and new outfits disguising its age, the same goes for most of the buildings in this city. There are a multitude of monasteries scattered throughout the town and its easy to pop in and out. They are very similar to the Thai versions I’ve visited but with little differences in the looks of the deities and architecture inside the temples. They too are aged and unkempt but have tons of character and draw you in with their mysticism. Many young monks can be seen walking around town as it seems normal, almost a rite of passage, for Lao men to spend some time in a monastery.
Before the evening is finished I’ve explored most of the town on foot and already planning my next move. As the sun draws down I visit the Mekong that runs the southern perimeter of Vientiane. There’s a night market and tons of people socializing in a gathering area where all roads lead to, aunties doing Pilates, children flying kites, a beautiful greeting. Tomorrow I will go to Vang Vieng.
