Friday, January 16th, 2004 – Day 332
I was up at 7.00am (it was 6.00am local) and took a 5,000 Kip Jumbo to the bus station. A bus to Vientiane was just leaving. Damn, the next one would leave at 7.30am (my watch was now fixed). The ticket cost 60,000 Kip. If you buy a ticket in town, it may cost up to 16 US. I decided to go or else I would spend the day bumming around Luang Prabang. it was a bit much foe. as soon as I landed at the guesthouse, one of the owners said did I want dope or opium. A second alter, a taxi girl on a Honda (wearing a fetching mini-skirt) stopped to say hi.
…. taxi girls, the name used to describe working girls in Asia.
Vientiane (wee-en-chan) has to be one of the world’s most unique capitals. Like many cities in developing countries, on arrival it’s a bit of a shock; the main roads in town were only recently paved, and it’s a place where the 3-month overdue repairs on a traffic light on one of the main intersections are the stuff of news in the local English-language paper. A short ride in any direction from Lane Xang, the main north-south avenue, will quickly carry you into the beginnings of rural Laos. Vientiane’s population of 280,000 in a country of just under 6 million reflects the nation’s rural makeup, and despite the infusion of foreign aid and steady local growth, the infrastructure even here in the capital is basic.
Vientiane’s small scale means you’ll be constantly confronted by startling incongruities. The town is peopled with monks in vermilion or mustard-color robes attending to their business at temples, but you might wonder at seeing those very pious figures hard at work on their website or playing games online at the local Internet cafe. The recent cellphone boom in Vientiane has urbanites well connected, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a public phone even in the city center. Crumbling French colonial mansions house the likes of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and every UN agency known to man. The airport still uses the grab-your-bag-off-the-cart method of dispensing luggage, and you can ride to town in a motorized cart. At the same time, the city has advertising agencies, embassies, and investment advisors. There are luxury business hotels with swimming pools and gourmet restaurants with fine wines, and the streets are crowded with big, gleaming sport utility vehicles.
it took a long 9 hours to get here. It was a hot day and not very comfortable. I was seated beside a Swedish guy (born in Serbia). According to the British foreign Office, this is a dangerous route.
Since February last year, there has been a number of fatal armed bus attacks: on Route 13, which links Vientiane to the north of Laos through Luang Prabang; and near the north-eastern town of Sam Neua. In February, two foreign tourists were killed in a bus attack on Route 13.
The BBC report on the death of the two tourists on this road can be found here. it should be noted there was an armed guard on our bus (with an AK-47) for the first 1/3 of the journey. I saw lots of civilians with automatic rifles in some villages as well. I presume this were government para-military.
Anyway, once we arrived, we took a shared jumbo to the backpacker area for 5,000 Kip. There is a glut of accommodation in this central area. Maybe more than 100 hotels and guesthouses with any tourists about.
Very relaxed place with little to no traffic and not that many around either. A big difference from anyplace I have been to been previous. It is worth a stay of several days to take it all in and enjoy Vientiane’s laid-back atmosphere while it lasts.
I took a double bed, ensuite with hot water for 5 US per night. it smelt like a brothel but I found this was from coils lit at night to get rid of vermin. I did little the rest of the evening.
Saturday, January 17th, 2004 – Day 333
I was up at 8.20am and spent the day until 2.30pm sightseeing. I visited some of the following main sites.
Morning Market (Talaat Sao)
Full of surprises around every corner, the Morning Market is the hub of local commerce and really where the action is. Here you can find anything from the Thai version of that Britney Spears CD you’ve been chasing after or a Buddhist keepsake from one of the tourist shops or small-time trinket salesmen. Bargain hard. This is the Laos version of “mall culture,” and sometimes the everyday tool department or stationery area gives a special glimpse into everyday life (and with a few well-placed “sabaidees,” you’ll be making friends, without doubt). Enjoy a good wander and the unique experience of hassle-free shopping; there are few touts, but, as always in crowded places, mind your valuables.
Wat Si Saket
Wat Si Saket, completed in 1818, is the only temple in Vientiane to survive the pillaging of the city by the Siamese in 1828, perhaps because the temple is built in traditional Thai style. It is renowned for the more than 10,000 Buddha images in the outer courtyard, of all shapes and sizes, in every possible nook and cranny. Look for Buddha characteristics that are unique to Laos: the standing or “praying for rain” Buddha; or the pose with arms up and palms facing forward, the “stop fighting” or calling for peace Buddha. The pose in which Buddha points the right hand downward signifies a rejection of evil and a calling to mother earth for wisdom and assistance. Lao Buddhas also have exaggerated nipples and square noses, to emphasize that Buddha is no longer human. The sim features a Khmer-style Buddha seated on a coiled cobra for protection.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Vientiane (17-01-2004)
That Dam (the Black Stupa)
This ancient stupa was probably constructed in the 15th century or even earlier, though it has never been dated. It is rumored to be the resting place of a mighty naga, or seven-headed dragon, that protected the local residents during the Thai invasion in the early 1800s.
Ho Phra Keo
Also built by King Setthathirat in 1565, Phra Keo was constructed to house an emerald Buddha that the king took from Thailand (which the Thais took back in 1779). Today there are no monks in residence, and the wat is actually a museum of religious art, including a Khmer stone Buddha and a wooden copy of the famous Luang Prabang Buddha. In the garden, there’s a transplanted jar from the Plain of Jars.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Vientiane (17-01-2004)
Patuxay (Victory Monument)
This monument was completed in 1968 and dedicated to those who fought in the war of independence against the French. Ironically, the monument is an arch modeled on the Parisian Arc de Triomphe. Its detailing is typically Lao, however, with many kinnari figures — half woman, half bird. It’s an imposing sight, and you can climb up for a good city view. This is the town’s pre-eminent teenage strutting ground and is busy and crowded on weekends.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Vientiane – Arc (17-01-2004)
Phra That Luang
This is the pre-eminent temple in Lao, actually a 44.4m (148-foot) stupa. It is not the original; the first, built in 1566 by King Setthathirat over the ruins of a 12th-century Khmer temple, was destroyed when the Siamese sacked Vientiane in 1828. It was rebuilt by the French in 1900, but the Lao people criticized it as not being true to the original. It was torn down in 1930 and remodeled to become the temple you see today. As you approach, the statue in front depicts Setthathirat. After you enter the first courtyard, look to the left to see a sacred bodhi tree, the same variety as that under which Buddha sat to achieve enlightenment. It has a tall, slim trunk, and the shape of its foliage is almost perfectly round. According to the Laotians, bodhi trees appear only in sacred places. You’ll never see one, for example, in someone’s backyard. The stupa is built in stages. On the second level, there are 30 small stupas, representing the 30 Buddhist perfections, or stages to enlightenment. That Luang is the site of one of Lao’s most important temple festivals, which takes place in early November.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Vientiane (17-01-2004)
I walked to all these sites. A lot of sweat but all within walking distance. So close in fact I was finished by 2.30pm. I relaxed the rest of the day.
Some relevant stories on the Net:
- Ex-South Vietnam Premier Returns Home
- Amnesty Blasts Singapore for Executions
- China Urges U.S. to Oppose Taiwan Separatist Moves
- China Confirms Two More SARS Cases
- China Says Has Won Battle Against SARS
- I see Cambodians have been urged to eat more dogs.
Later that night, I met an English couple and we went to watch the Liverpool V Spurs Match. He was a pool fan and the match did not go their way. He was a laugh and a fan of the English Football hooligan and defending their record against other countries like Holland and turkey. I was in bed by midnight.
Sunday, January 18th, 2004 – Day 334
This town is so quite. Very little hussle and bussle. Not much traffic. Very relaxed and a good place to sit back and have a few beers. Internet access from 100-200 Kip a minute. I took today off and got out of bed at 10.20am. I walked around town and researched my trip tomorrow.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Vientiane (18-01-2004)
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Vientiane (18-01-2004)
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Vientiane (18-01-2004)
I spent half the way wondering what I am doing tomorrow. My mind is split two ways:
- Travel between Vientiane and Nong Khai in Thailand and continue south to Bangkok (or maybe Cambodia and then Bangkok). I would travel over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. This is the first international bridge spanning the Mekong. The bridge links Nong Khai with Vientiane and was built jointly by the governments of Australia, Thailand and Laos. The bridge was opened in April 8, 1994.
- Travel South through Laos to Paske and then travel to Thailand.
I am sure glad that I left China for New Years on January 22nd. China’s 1.3 billion people are expected to take about 1.89 billion rail, bus or plane trips during the 40-day peak travel period that began on January 7. The New Year begins on January 22. Many people head to their home provinces to be with their families.
Bird flu kills Vietnamese girl
China Toughens Checks Against SARS, Flu
I met the Liverpool hooligan again to watch Aston Villa lose 0-2 to Arsenal. We had a few pints and met up with an Aussie. As soon as the match was over (as happened last night) they turned off the lights. It doesn’t matter if you were still drinking, the room is turned pitch dark.
- In other news, Thaksin Vows Help for Violence-Hit South Thailand
- Information Board on refugee Camps in Northern Cambodia where I am going
- Info Board on cambodia