An unremarkable day except for a remarkably good dinner

As the heading suggests today was an unremarkable day. Went for a walk, pottered round the house, did some domestics, played with the cat and the dog.

Got a tuktuk into the city, went for a walk, took a few pics of Vats and stuff and then.....

I met up with Bianca at Makphet, the restaurant run by ex street kids.  Too many choices on the menu saw us getting a number of shared half size dishes:

Grilled Eggplant salad with galangal, lemongrass and peanuts. - looked like somehtign with bolognaise sauce but tasted like heaven.  The eggplant to start with had a smoky taste and then the lemongrass and galangal kicked in to leave a divine after taste.

My usual banana leaf salad - subtle, limey, spicy and the sesame seed after taste.

Fish ceviche with Galangal and chilli - light, spicy and perfectly offset with the basil and curry leaves.

Fresh Spring rolls with a divine dipping sauce.  Beautifully rolled so that the filling stayed intact as you ate and you got the benefit of the lovely flavours of the spicy green mango sauce.

Pan seared Lao Beef marinated in whiskey sliced thin with frangipane flowers and tomatoes.

                                Whiskey Marinated Beef and Frangipane Flowers

                           

 

                                              THE banana flower salad

                           

                                                 Fresh Spring Rolls

                           

                                AND THE BEST OF THE LOT - the Eggplant Salad

                           

We hardly left anything and enjoyed every drop.  My new favourite restaurant did us proud.

And so home to pack for our trip to Luang Prabang tomorrow

A tourist in Vientiane

OK.  Most the messages done for the time being so today was time for some sightseeing on the tourist trail.

But starting off I did some stuff around home, took some more stuff to the dressmaker and then had my apple pie at Banneton. The layers of flaky pastry just fell apart as I took my first bite; the spiced apple oozed out the sides as the flakes fell to my plate.  Each mouthful saw more and more cascading down until at the end I was able to scoop them up as a bonus.  What a way to start the day (actually it was 12 noon by the time I had breakfast).

                                

First off a walk through Chou Anouvong Park which runs alongside the mainroad on the side of the Mekong.  The park runs for quite some distance between the town and the river side road and has some lovely gardens, a great area full of exercise equipment, monks sitting around and in general a lovely piece of serene green in the middle of a dusty busy city.

    

                               

                                 

                               

The massive statue of Chou Anouvong, who led the Laotian Rebellion (1826 – 1829) as the last monarch of the Lao Kingdom of Vientiane, dominates the park as he points towards the Mekong which shares its banks with Lao and Thailand on the other side.  Quite surreal coming from an island nation to be able to see another country over the road.

                                  

Further along I visit Vat Sisaket.  Not one that I would rave about after having seen so many remarkable Wats and Vats over the last month, but I can say I have been.  

Next to the Vat is the museum complex which is made up of a crumbling temple and monastery and was built in 1818 by King Anu.  The temple survived the destruction of the city by the Siamese army in 1828. The monastery stands intact in its original form, and is one of the most frequented in the city. Inside the main compound the courtyard walls have hundreds of little niches and large shelves displaying 6,840 Buddha statues. Although it's in need of more work, the impressive temple hall underwent some restoration in 1938. The paintings that once covered its interior walls have largely been destroyed by the ravages of time, but the intricately carved wooden ceiling and doors are still intact. The detail on the walls and ceiling were quite superb.  Photos were not allowed but with the help of a purchased post card I got this one.

                                     

Lunch time and I wander back to Maphet for another of those glorious banana flower salads, intending to take a photo before I started but greed got the better of me so this is the half eaten version and does no justice to the dish.  Rolling my sticky rice into balls and with each ball picking up a bit of the salad before raising them to my mouth made it taste even better.  Cutlery could not have done this justice.  Nearly dribbling I savour a divine mix of flavours and textures, sweet, salty, spicy and sour, all topped off with a red mulberrry tea.  Oh so yum.

                               

Killing time before I could get into the fashion parade I took myself off to the Lao National Museum.  A rather uninspriign collection of bits and pieces (some interesting info about archaeological sites)  and many photos, the majority briefly labelled to idetify the item or participants but with no clues as to the occasion or background.  Most labels were mis-spelled or made no sense.  Again no photos allowed but quite honestly there wasnt an awful lot to photograph.

Time for relaxation saw me, yet again, at Khop Chai Deu for a coke and some riverweed which I had not tried before and was surprised to get dark green sheets of stuff scattered with sesame seeds.  For some reason I thought it would be like seaweed or watercress.  It was, however, exceptionally yummy and great for a snack.

                                   

Times up and I go for a wander only to get a message a few minutes later from Bianca to say they were waiting for me at Khop Chai Deu and so I returned to a beer Lao and spring rolls.

I had read about a fashion parade being held as part of French Week and was eager to go see, so Michael and Bianca came too.  It was held in the grand Cultural Centre which is not nearly so grand inside as it is outside.  

It took quite some time for the fashion parade to start and I was expecting French fashion so was quite surprised when the first lot of models showed clothing with a distinctive over the top but asian twist.  The next tranche of models wore more traditionally Lao dress with a modern twist and although the styles were not my cup of tea the workmanship and tailoring of the garments was like nothing I have seen of late in NZ, where most our clothes resemble sacks with little true talent required in the tailoring and fitting of the garments.  It was brilliant and shown off superbly by the slender and gorgeous models.

                                                  

A tranche of mens clothes, based on traditional Lao dress, again showed the talents of the designers and dressmakers.  Never let it be said that there are no decent seamstresses her.  The tailoring was superb.

Dinner time and we wandered off to Sticky Fingers where my meal came in the form of a big pile of smooth, creamy potato mash, smotherered in onion gravy and sitting atop it all a rather large cumberland sausage.  Comfort food at its finest and appropriate on a day where the mercury didn't quite get to the level on the thermometer that it had been and where I felt a chill in my bones as we sat outside to eat.  Winter woolies may be coming out sooner than I thought.

                                        

While wandering around today I did find a few interesting bits that may be of use to the next person visiting Vientiane.  I will do a final blog of Vientiane before I leave and include the bits and peices I have picked up but in the meantime:

The ANZ ATM next to Khop Chai Deu will give out up to 2,000,000 kip with a transaction fee of 40,000.  Many other machines limit withdrawals to 1,000,000 with a fee of 20,000.

Over the road from Khop Chai Deu is a little kiosk which sells international newspapers including the local English paper.

There are lots of shops selling textiles around town.  Some say they are antiques.  They probably arent.  Prices of fabrics vary considerably and so does the quality.  Some are hand loomed, some mass produced.  Some cotton, some silk and others synthtic.  So a low price doesnt necessarily mean a good deal.  My favourite is Mixay over the road crom Pimenton.  Lovely environment, good qualit stock at excellent prices and lovely staff.  Some of their stuff is imported but nevertheless still a good deal.  They do weaving classes and tailoring on the premises.

A new week in Vientiane and a visit to the COPE Centre

This week I was supposed to be doing my second week of teaching monks but late last week I was advised of yet another change in plan.  Initially I was to do two weeks teaching, last week and this week, then I was to go back to Laos and return to Thailand for a further four days to attend the volunteer training course.

Because of a last minute change of plan last weeks teaching was cancelled and then towards the end of the week I was advised that I would only be teaching for three days this week and the rest of the time I would be training volunteers.  Yes well.  I dont know what I will be doing so a bit hard to train anyone else.

Consequently I am sick of being dicked around and have cancelled my involvement in the project and am getting a refund.  I will hopefully still be doing the second placement in Krabi.

With this week on my hands with little to do I have focussed on trying to do something constructive towards the wedding and so for the first two days have been doing wee errands and odds and sods in the city.

In doing so I have discovered a few foodie gems, one being a French Bakery called Banneton, who does divine croissant and apple pies as well as a mean espresso that I have indulged in a few times since Monday.  

I visited a few dressmakers with no joy.  Either they didn't speak English, the job was too hard or what they were suggesting left me with no confidence in their ability or taste.  There were a few   more options we could check out overnight so after a while I gave up on that idea.

Monday's dinner was going to be at La Gondola, an italian restaurant but it was closed so we dined at a Turkish restaurant called Istanbul and I had THE BEST lahano dolmas that I have had barring my Mom's.  They were accompanied by a divine salad, dressed with a lime dressing that made the roof of my mouth zing.  Yumeeee.

On our return home at night we had the chance to walk along the new concreted road outside MandB's.  Yay, goodbye to much of the dust.  The road it joins onto is still unsealed but they are gradually working their way round the whole neighbourhood so soon it will be fantastic and most the dust will be banished.

Tuesday saw a continuation of wedding related tasks, but a break for lunch saw me back at Banneton.

Perhaps the most constructive thing I did today was to find a dressmaker and score an appointment for Bianca for later jn the day.   With the appointment looming it wasnt worth me going home and coming back and so what does one do when they are in the city, in the heat with nowhere to go.  Eat of course.  

Last night we nearly went to a restaurant called Mahpet, acooks and waiting staff training centre but just before we went in a group of very loud obnoxious Australians preeceeded us and the thought of eating with them was too much so we moved on. Today I got the opportunity to try them out without any obnoxious people around.  In fact it was locely and quiet.   Well, training they may be but the meal was fantatsic.  A simple banana flower salad but finished off with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds which made it possibly the nicest salad I have had for a very long time.  They do somehting really cool and allow half sized meals, which the salad was, but the nicest thing is that they charge you exactly half price as well with no extra alowance for service, use of crockery etc which most places would.  I will be back. Thank you Mahpet.

Still with time to fill in I indulged in a lovely oily and relaxing back and leg massage.  Just what I needed and a great way to fill in a bit of time.

4pm rolls up and Bianca and I go sort out the dressmaker.  Yes! yes! All signed and sealed and quoted a great price to boot.  Celebrations were had across the road at Pimenton, where you guessed it, I ate again.  Yum tapas, baby squid, deep fried kalamari and goats cheese.

Dinner was the the Italian we had tried the night before and found it closed.  A light tasty pasta dish was just what I needed.  Lacking in traditional Italian taste but nevertheless a great choice.

Wednesday saw a very slow start but once on the move I made another visit to Banneton for the best apple pie.  Sated and happy I set off to walk to the COPE centre which was really pleasant as it was not too warm and the gentle breeze filtered through the trees cooling me as I walked.  The visit

to the Centre was well worth it and opened my eyes to many of the difficulties endured by the Lao people.  Things that we dont hear about at home, and things we should hear about.

COPE is a local not-for-profit organisation that works in partnership with the Centre of Medical Rehabilitation (CMR) and provincial rehabilitation centres to provide access to both orthotic/prosthetic devices and rehabilitation services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and paediatric services to people with disabilities.  COPE was created in response to the need to provide UXO survivors with the care and support they required, namely by way of orthotic and prosthetic devices. 

COPE has four major roles:

1. To act as a portal for skills development and training, upgrading clinical skills in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and P&O within the government rehabilitation services. This is extended to management and administrative skills to ensure that the capacity for COPE to run as a local organisation is sustainable.
2. To support expenses of patients who are unable to pay for treatment and associated costs as well as upgrading facilities at the five centres currently supported by COPE.
3. To act as an interface between the donor community and the Lao Government. International donors require a recognised standard of auditing and financial accountability for proposals to be successfully accepted and managed.
4. To facilitate referral between the network of clinical services to provide comprehensive treatment of people living with mobility impairments, ensuring people with disabilities in Lao PDR will have access to the rehabilitation services that can improve their ability to participate in their communities.

The long-term vision of COPE is to become a locally-staffed organisation that covers the cost of mobility devices and rehabilitation for people in Lao PDR who cannot afford it.

Not only did the centre give me the opportunity to learn about the work they do but also have me an insight to the extent of the bombing that occurred during and after the Vietnam war.  The facts speak for themselves and are scary:

Lao PDR is the most heavily bombed country, per capita, in history 

Approximately 25% of villages in Laos are contaminated with Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) 

More than 580,000 bombing missions were conducted over Laos 

Over 2 million tons of ordnance were dropped on Laos between 1964 and 1973 

Cluster submunitions or ‘Bombies’ (as they are known locally) are the most common form of UXO remaining 

More than 270 million bombies were dropped onto Laos 

Up to 30% failed to detonate 

Approximately 80 million unexploded bombies remained in Laos after the war 

All 17 provinces of Laos suffer from UXO contamination 

41 out of the 46 poorest districts in Laos have UXO contamination

Over 50,000 people have been killed or injured as a result of UXO accidents in the period 1964 to 2008 

Over 20,000 people have been killed or injured as a result of UXO accidents post-war period, 1974 to 2008

UXO Lao works in the nine most heavily UXO contaminated provinces in the country.

UXO Lao needs on an average, US$6.5 million, for operations. It employs over 1,000 people.

                                

                                

                                                 

Very scary and sad statistics.  Fortunately only of late Lao is starting to get international help to healp deal with many of the issues caused by the UXO.

Sobered by my visit, I walk and walk to clear my head, walking to the Lao version of L'Arc de Triomphe, the 

                                                     

From there I carried on to the "mall" and discovered yet another section.  This mall is a collection of very dated shops sellign all sorts of thigs.  It covers a hige area of land and is sectioned into different areas all selling the same sort if things.  Electrical, fabrics, hair stuff, stationery etc.  Each time I visit I find something else to  explore.

From there I walked to Simueng Deli, not a deli in our sense but a shop selling food that is not readily available elsewhere.  Mainly western style imported food and sadly not of the greatest quality.  I had intended buying some frozen chicken but I would not cook that at home, so I don't intend to cook it here.  Still there is a great rotisserie chicken place down the road and I don't have to see where the chicken came from or what condition it was in before cooking.  I still managed to buy some lovely fresh  crusty bread and some cheeses, both of which were tucked into as soon as I got home.  Yumm.

Michael bought some pho (or pheu) home for dinner, a little different to what I was having in Vietnam but nevertheless very tasty and just what I needed.  The night came to an end after watching a bit of telly and catching up on this blog.

Hanging about in Vientiane

THURSDAY - Yay for a slow day today.  I didn't have anything special planned so wandered around the suburb where Bianca lives and found my bearings, took photographs of the street signs so I can show the cabbies, checked out the traditional markets down the road and came home and sorted a few things here.

I was on a search for linen for Bianca so grabbed a tuktuk, managed to tell him where I wanted to go, negotiated a price and set off happily in the tuktuk.  Quite proud of myself.  On the way we stopped and picked up a very old lady who kept smiling and touching my arm.  She kept indicating that I should put my money into my bag (I had the fare ready in my hand) and she was going to pay.  No way that was going to happen but how nice of her.

No luck at the markets but i did find the phone company that I was told were the best in Laos and got a new SIM.  This will be the third I have had in Laos.  First one internet only meant I couldnt ring for a driver if I needed to, second one was phone and internet but no one knew how to attach the internet part of it, so my thrid one was literally third time lucky and now I have both phone and internet for around $7.50 per month. And both of them work. Yay.  Not surprising I had three in Thailand and only one actually worked and cost me a fortune.

From the phone shop I walked into the city and checked out the home store where I found linen and a fewother things   but by now time for lunch.  My toasted sandwich the other day was good enough for me to  want another so back I went and it was just as good.

Nothing much else to do once I had finished my errands but I checked out the possibility of getting a weaving lesson, picked up some tourist brochures from the iCentre and  back to Khop Chai Deu for refreshments while I waited for Bianca.  We finished our beer Lao and spring rolls and checked out the night markets along the riverside.  Bianca pointed out the exercise classes along the riverside and so I might come back one night and join in if I can cope with the heat.  Tonight was exceptionally hot for me.  The markets were lovely, not your usual touristy junk but some nice souvenirs and handcrafts.  I will come back and do a slow wander one night.

A quick dinner of gyoza and squid balls and we set off home for a relaxing night hanging out with mr happy Dee Jai, the cutest wee pup.

A low key day is just what I needed after a full on four weeks where I really haven't stopped at all.  Its starting to feel as though I haven't stopped too.  Feet sore, eyes closing while I sit at the table, just tired and need some good nights sleep.  Looking forward to another slow day tomorrow.  Bring it on.

FRIDAY should be called LAZEDAY because other than domestics and a walk or two I have done very little.  Played with the cat, played with the dog, relaxed, did washing, cleaned floors only to find them covered in red dust a few minutes later.  The soil here is very red and they are doing road works outside so the dust is everywhere.  Not a lot you can do about it but grin and bear it.  At least its not like Naboisho where it was coming out our pores.

Dinner time amd we grabbed a tuktuk into the city to Sticky Fingers where I had a yum, but too small version of BBQ spare ribs with, again, too small version of great wedges.  An ice cream trumpet in the tuktuk on the way home finished the day nicely

SATURDAY

Bianca had to work at the WIG (Womens International Group) annual bazaar so I went along for the ride.  What an amazing bazaar, excellent retail stores, many with superb handcrafts, a huge food area with all sorts available, actvities for the kids and the adults.  Probably the best bazaar I have ever been to. Much of the time I spent watching the children perform on stage.  Too cute.

http://vimeo.com/80139428

Perhaps the best part was spent sitting under a tree people watching.  The bazaar was largely organised by the expat women with proceeds going to a charity.  As a result many of the people there were ex pats and the local people were those that have dealings with the westerners.  It was like being in another world.  Suddenly hoardes of overweight westerners and scarier were the many over weight asian kids as well.  I guess thats what Westerners are known so well for.  Shame.

From the bazaar we went back to Khop Chai Deu (think I have been there every day I have been in Vientiane) for lunch and then round the corner for a cold drink before we went searching for the dressmaker we have had recommended.  No luck with the dressmaker so we came home, slept and then went and got the most yum rotisserie chicken for dinner.  Also got some duck but that was so tough we couldnt eat it.  Oh well.  One out of two aint bad.

Dee Jai entertained us for the evening by being a mad dog, like all wee puppies should.

http://vimeo.com/80138136

Good night from Vientiane.

HAPPY SUNDAY

Today was started with a lovely brunch and the rest of the day was spent starting on some wedding preparations, lolling round home, playing with the cutest wee DeeJai and generally not doing too much at all.  The road outside the house is being chopped yet again making access hard and so it was easier just to stay put and organise ourselves for a busy day tomorrow.

Au revoir Vang Vieng

Not sure which is the worst: the music till 1:00am, the bloody roosters at 5:00am,  or the prayers at 7:00am.  I overheard other people that are staying along the river saying similar things so next time I think the answer is to be in the hotels at the southern end of town, guess thats why they are more expensive.  OK I've said my bit now.  Get over it and move on.

Despite the noise I had a late and slow start  and just went wandering, nowhere in particular but I ended up at the Luang Prabang Bakery and somehow, mysteriously a piece of divine fresh chocolate cake appeared in front of me.  How did that happen.  Since it was there I had to eat it and damn glad I did too.

                                    

Another indulgence today when I had a 30 minute foot massage for 30,000 kip - about $4.50.  The massage place looked like the many others along the "strip", very basic with a nicely written sign out front.  Inside were 5 things like matresses, all covered in floral matching sheets and at their head a fluffy pillow in a nice contrasting floral pillowcases.  Still it was clean.  The lady asked me to lie down which i did thinking it was unusual for a foot massage but thats OK.  while lying down gazing at th ecieling I managed to get a good look at the ceiling decorations.  How they can possibly think that soggy, stained and sagging ceilings are the sort of thing that people want to look at I have no idea but oh well. $4.50.  As with most massages I have had in Asia I wonder about the knowledge and training these people have had and whether they have any idea about pressure points or whatever.  But I loved this lady for she made out my horrible scabby bits were must normal and lavished them with oil, which was divine.  Khop Chai Lai Lai.  Lovely.

I return to the Inthira to pack my bags and see the staff all sitting together enjoying a meal.  I asked for a photo op, which they agreed to and then invited me for lunch.  How nice.  I was depserate for the loo and didnt like to say so I declined their kind offer and went to my room.

                                                    

Each day as I walked down the hallway to my room I would notice the floral arrangements.  Some deft person has cut the top off drink bottles, zigzagged the top, rolled it over and filled the bottles with stones and some greenery.  Looked so striking.  Note to self.  Keep those bottles, never know when you   might need a vase.

                                                     

The mini bus collects me from the Inthira Hotel but not before I have taken a lovely photo of all the staff in the Khop Chai Deu Tshirts which they have just been given.  I started to email it to them but the mini bus arrived and I rushed off losing my wifi connection.  I so have to get this sorted.  Yesterday when I bought the new phone SIM I asked them to cut the old one down for the iPad.  They did but it's crooked so wont fit and now of course no use to man or his dog.

The mini bus was a bit different to the first one that took me in to Vang Vieng.  This one had "character"; falling apart, no aircon but two ordinary fans mounted on the ceiling which didnt appear to work, the seats were covered in dust and the driver not so pleasant.  Still we are safely deposited at our bus which leaves almost on time.  The VIP bus not quite as nice as the last one but still very OK.  For some reason the return trip costs more than the inward leg but for 60,000 kip ($12) it is still a bargain.

                                                

I watch as the backpackers, dead on their feet, lug their packs to the bus.  Oh thank heavens for wheels. The thought of travelling with all my possessions squashed on my back lost the shine many years ago.

We set off. The scenery is stunning with the river meandering through fields of rice and small villages keeping everything green as it flows.  We pass stall after stall of dried fish, one of the specialties.  I wonder who buys it as there are few cars on the road.  I also wonder how long it sits there for.

Stopping at the rest stop I go looking for Miss "one tousand" but she is nowhere to be seen.  I feel disappointed at missing the photo op.  I wasn't quick enough last time but then feel better when I snap the bus radiator being filled up from the tap at the rest stop.  

                                

Minutes after I took the pic and walked on the radiator overflowed and the driver ran like mad to turn the tap off.  That was a missed photo op.  Getting back to Vientiane was quite uneventful but surprisingly, instead if going back into the city from where we started the last time, we are dropped at the Northen Bus Terminal, a wee way out of town.

As soon as we arrive I spy this Bus and wished I had travelled with Pooh and his freinds.

                                

Busting for the loo I pay my 1tousand and rush off.  I come out and most people are squashed into a large tuktuk heading for the city.  I join a few others and board the next one.  Only 6 of us and a few seats spare.  He collects our 10,000kip.  And we wait.  And we wait.  And we wait.  Then we eventually set off.

Only for a couple of secs, for soon we are parked in another parking lot where he is negotiating with a crowd of people to take them too.  We move along the seats and squash up.  One young lady is moved into the passenger seat up front.  She didnt seem to happy about it.  The rest of us straddle our bags while four people plus bags of rice, linen, all sorts get shovelled on board with us.  And still we wait.

Not being one to be dicked around, or to keep my mouth shut I called out and showed him my watch saying "go now".  Nothing.  A few minutes later he is having an argument with people next to the tuktuk.   "Go now".  Nothing.  So I indictaed money by rubbing my fingers together.  He pulled 10,000 out of his pocket and gave it to me.  I snatched it and promptly walked across the car park and got another   tuktuk.  It cost me far more but I was on my way.  As I left the others were doing the same thing.  I wish I had thought fast enough and I could have got the others into my tuktuk and saved them the hastle.  I had read about this sort of scam where they would refuse to leave unless the bus was full in the hope that they could screw the passengers for the fares from the empty seats.  Wrong person, wrong place mate.  I was happy paying the extra and not playing your games.

My cab drops me in the city after battling quite a delay with heavy traffic and I meet Bee at Khop Chai Deu as planned.  Tom, Tiak and the kids join us for a lovely meal and a really nice evening.  Dinner started with some spring rolls, and beer Lao.  Our main meal consisted of Larb, for a change, Papaya Salad (and a beaut), lime fish (divine), BBQd skewers, chicken with sticky rice stuffed and cooked in bamboo tubes (so yum) and sticky rice.  All really good.

                                                 

                                                 

A tuktuk dropped us at home and we ended our day playing with DeeJai and Joey.  Avother lovely day.

Magical, misty and sublime

After the late night last night with the music from wherever, and a lousy sleep in yet another new bed I was not happy when I was woken at 5:30am by the sound of chanting coming from a Wat (or Vat as they call them here).  Not happy at all but I had better get over it as it's a daily thing I am told.  Then the rooster started.  Bloody rooster was the straw that broke my nerves.

Since I am awake I get up throw some clothes to go in search of the chanting, maybe another festival. You guessed it.  The moment I left the room it stopped.  Oh well I am up now so go for a long walk.  It was eerie looking out towards the mountains where they were shrouded in mist.  The air was wet and the mist hung low down round the river.  Everyone, except for the locals, was asleep and the only sound you could hear was the clinking of utensils as they cooked and ate breakfast after their prayers.  Magical.

I walk as far as the Vat at what I thought was the outskirts of town and interrupt some young monks at work.  Dressed in shorts on the bottom half with a tshirt on top covered by a short version of their usual robes, they were lugging sand in a wheelbarrow.  Pretty serious work for young kids.  Later in the day I see the same young monks on their bikes having a race while going into town.  I guess they are just normal young kids wanting to have fun.

                                                       

The info centre somehow popped up on the radar and I couldnt resist checking it out.  The lovely man there was pretty useless but they had lots of brichures which I grabbed.  He got me to fill in a quality control survey which hopefully will help someone.  Armed with some brochures I return to the hotel for a very very average breakfast, which I will probably forgo tomorrow, but sitting down for the time it took to have breakfast gave me the chance to read a bit about some of the things I could do in this beautiful country.

Wandering further I come across the "Peeping Som" restaurant.  Someone with a sense of humour anyway.  I love all the translations in foreign countries and perhaps the best I have ever seen was yesterday where I struggled to figure out what "Winner snizle" was and had it not been for the photo of "Weiner Schnitzel" I would still not know what it was.

All along the streets are stalls selling sandwiches, pancakes and drinks.  The signs for each are identical, in fact written by the same hand.  No wknder backpackers love the place.  For 10,000 ($1.50) they can get a hefty sandwich, and for another 7,000 or so a fruit juice.  Maybe if I was a sandwich fan I would be eating there too.  But then I wonder how they keep all those i gredients fresh with just a chiller box sitting at their feet, in the heat. Lao food is something hidden on the bottom of most menus which is a shame because it is very yum and far lighter and better for you than the stodge of western food that is offered.

                                     

Lao food is sold almost exclusively at the more basic restaurants where locals eat.  Shame it is not at more of the "more upmarket" places.

Further along I get to the stretch where all the backpackers go, and there they were again all stretched out on the benches watching telly.  Apparently they are all watching "Friends" for which the town has a reputation.  Weird, really weird.

All along the streets are many restaurants in different shapes and forms and many local people eating there.  As in other places I have been recently it would appear that locals eat out all the time, and I then think that I have not seen any shops selling produce or anything that you could make a meal from.  The few mini-marts have a small selection of snack food, mainly for the tourist market, so they dont buy food there. I wonder.

I stop and watch a young lady weaving some fabric for Lao skirts.  Intricate designs with threads so fine that I could barely see them, let alone be able to count them as she was doing to plan the design.  The loom was a makeshift rigmarole held together with pieces of plastic bags and half of the apparatus was of makeshift materials, but she was doing a beautiful job.

                                    

Further in I stopped for a cold drink and met some Belgian people.  The father owns the restaurant I was in and he appears to be mine host while his Lao wife does all the work.  Sounds like Les' idea except I wouldn't  buy into it.  His daughter and friend were visiting and I found it interesting hearing them easily flick between perfect English, Lao and Belgian.  Drink over I carry on.        

                                     

As I walk the rain starts to gently fall, like a heavy mist.  In the background I can hear gentle music playing.  As I look across to the limestone mountains the mist moves across and partially hides the towers creating an eerie atmosphre.  Shivers move up my spine and not because it is cold but because of the unbelievable haunting beauty of my surroundings.

                                       

What to do now?  I remember the Organic Farms and am told it is along the same road as the market about 3k from the hotel.  Its nice and coolish and I have nothign else to do so I set off stopping at the markets on the way.  So this is where the locals buy their food from.  Beautiful fresh fruit, meat, veg. es, fish. Al looking lovely and fresh with no flies.  A big bonus.  I find a cell phone shop and buy yet another sim for my phone so that. I can actually ring someone from it.  The one I have is internet only.  Lets see will this one do what I want it to do.  Getting very much over this phone thing.  Vietnam and Cambodia were a piece of cake.  Thailand a nightmare, and here hmmmmmmm.

I check out the Lao skirt fabrics and here they are asking 500,000 kip for the length of fabric.  I found a nice one at a shop in town and they wanted 300,000 for the skirt made up and further down was a guy selling the fabric alone for 90,000, so this palce had no show of a sale.  I guess the different fabrics attract different prices but considering I may only wear it once, it hardly seems worth spending too much.

Walking on, gosh 3 kilometres is quite a way when it is getting warmer and the surface you are walking on is gravel, potholes and puddles.  I persevere and glad I did.  I arrive at the Organic Farm Cafe and order tempura mulberry leaves with honey and some spring rolls with lemon and chilli.  Both were so so yum.  The mulberry leaves crackled like chippies and dunked in the liquid honey were sweet and savoury, creamy and crunchy. Oh my, so good.  The spring rolls had been cut up and then fried so were little parcels of crunch which you dipped in the lemon chilli sauce.  The sauce has chopped peanuts on top so you got a double crunch with each bite.   Tastiest spring rolls I have had.

                                  

I watch as a pile of youngsters take to the water in their tubes and wander if the trip down the river will be as serene as it is where they set off.  Looks like fun.  One girl was like I would have been, unable to get it going, and I could see from the look on her face that she really didn't want to be there.

                                   

Too far to,walk back I get a tuktuk back to town.  Again I know I am being ripped off but what the hell.  17,000 (about $2.00) to go 3kilometres.  Not bad in my eyes.

I walk and check out the resorts along the riverbank.  Some are gorgeous, but quite frigid and lacking ght echaracter of the places in town.  There was a swing bridge opposite the Riverview Villas so I pay my 4,000 baht and go for a look around the wee village on the other side of the river.  All along my walk I meet moms and dads with wee kids and each and every one made some sort of an effort to say hi, sabadee, wave or just smile.  Such friendly people.  I love them.  Not one grouch have I found.

As I start my way back. I notice the sun was setting and realised that I would not have time to get back to one of the restaurants to watch the sunset so. I take advantage of my position on the bridge to grab some shots and watch the sun sneak down behind the mountains.  By this time the mist had gone and most of the clouds parted so it was quite spectacular.  Gorgeous in fact.

                                

                                

                               

I go back to the cheaper of the skirt material places and get a piece for 50,000 baht.  Not quite as nice as others I have seen but it will work perfectly for what I want it for.

Vang Vieng Bakery was my next stop where I resisted one of the lovely looking cakes and just had a coke to quench my thirst.  I overhear a woman saying to her friend that she thought I looked very smart. Wow, wish I felt it.  Three weeks of slobbing is making me feel particularly slobby.  Frizzy hair, grimy clothes, well worn sandals and poxy legs full of rashes.  But oh well I cant be that bad then.

I return to the hotel for a break before dinner and as I sit and start this blog I hear the familiar sound outside, drip, drip, drip.  Yes its raining again so that means another meal downstairs in the hotel restaurant, which I don't really mind as the food is very good.  Before heading down I watch the last half of the movie American Dreamz.  Hugh Grant, you do look so much like my mate the "kiwi bastard".  He knows who he is.

As I write I am eating  and listening to my darling Phil Collins singing one of my favourite songs "Take a look at me now."  Dobbo would be saying "WTF" if he could see me and the tear that is trickling down my cheek.  

           So take a look at me now, 

           oh there's just an empty space

           And there's nothing left here to remind me,

           just the memory of your face

Oh it has finished and now we have Stevie Wonder "I just called to say I love you".  Great choices Inthira Kitchen, I love your music.  Oh now Celine Dion "Beacuse you loved me".  Maybe Dobbo has a direct line to their music.  

Which reminds me of something hilarious that happened in Bangkok.  Bianca and I were enjoying an ice cream at Swensens and they were playing some lovely jazz.  To me it sounded like Diana Krall.  I asked the young lady serving who was singing the music.  Her reply was "memory stick". We laughed and laughed.  I wonder if she thinks that "Memory Stick" is the name of a singer, or if she was trying to tell me the music is on a memory stick and therefore doesnt know who was singing.  Love it.

Inthira Kitchen has made me a Papaya Salad and Chicken Larb, both of which are very good, not fantastic but still very good.  They both could have done with more lime juice so a bit bland but very edible.  I am getting the hang of eating with a spoon rather than a fork.  Seems odd but I will get it soon.  At least this is eassier than chopsticks.  My BeerLao goes down very easy.  I am reminded that it should be drunk with ice but I am not ready for that one yet.

Another great day is over as I return to my hotel room.  I switch on the telly again and Tomb Raiders is playing.  Funny I've just been to those places.  They are real and not just movie sets.

The noise from outside continues. Oh well, at least there is a TV to watch.

A change of scenery

I start to type this as I sit on a VIP bus on the way to Vang Vieng, about four hours north of Vientiane.  Since I now have this week to spare I am going to try and get around a bit and see bits of the country before I head back to Thailand on Sunday.

My bus fare on this very nice double decker bus, which looks as though it will leave on time at 10:00am is the princely sum of 40,000 kip, which is around $6.00.  I tried to book a ticket yesterday but everything was shut so this morning I thought I would just take the chance.  There is another bus at 2:00 pm if I couldn't get on this one.  My cab dropped me in the area where I believed the bus stop to be and I walked into the first travel agent I saw who told me that evrything was booked out today.  Oh well I will go for a walk. Thats when I passed the travel agent that Michael had bought me to yesterday.  So I gave them a try.  The long and short of it is that I have a ticket on a bus that is nearly full, today.  They collected me in a Mini van from the agency bought me round the block to the place where I had got out of the cab this morming and deposited me right next to the bus.  Service. 

I stayed awake for a bit of the trip, the scenery just beautiful; very green, beautiful homes and for a country that is supposed to be desperately poor there was little evidence of the poverty.  The road was flat, basic but good and so it was a lovely ride.  Eventually I decided to check out the inside of my eyelids and dozed off.  I woke sensing somehting in my shoulder.  It was the head of the young Laoboy sitting  next to me.  I figured it was harmless and every now and then he must have sensed that his head was bobbing and jerked it away, only for it to fall back, softly, a few minutes later.

Most fhe people on the bus were young backpackers.  Vang Vieng is well known for its water sports, tubing, climbing and caving and attracts a backpacking population who come along for those reasons.  When I originally thought of coming here I was put off for the exact same reason but I am told that it is not that bad now.  We shall see.

We stop for a loo break.  A young girl about 8, dressed in school uniform sits at a desk near the entrance to the loos and screams at each person entering "one tousand", collecting 1,000kip from each person that went in.  The loos were pretty basic turkish porcelain enriched holes in the floor, but clean.  So clean that all the surrounding area was swimming in soapy water as they had just been washed.  So picture this!  iPad in hand (I didnt want to leave it in my bag on the bus), handbag with nowhere to hang it, trousers where I had to hold the legs out of the water, loo paper.  Two hands.  If ever I needed to be a contortionist then this was it.  Nothing was soaking by the time I got out so that was the main thing.

The bus continues, this time up some winding roads, and then the view changes.  Before me peering out of the mist are huge greenery covered limestone mountains.  So stunning.  The weather had been overcast all day and now slightly foggy and the peaks peered out of the mist like eyes peering out from behind a veil.  Just stunning.

                  

                                

Soon we arrive at Vang Vieng and I easily find my hotel, the Inthira, part of the Ban Sabai chain and advertised by the people that own Khop Chai Deu in Vientiane.  It was chosen as it gives me access to a swimming pool at the Ban Sabai which I would have like to have stayed if I was not $$$ dependent.

I hadn't eaten and knew I needed to so set off in search of food, heading down towards the river.  All along the section I ended up in were restaurants, built to take advantage of the sublime views, with low tables and floor level seating (much like turkish seating) where you sat with feet stretched under the table.  Except at each one I passed they were full of, mainly backpackers but some locals as well, stretched out on the benches watching a soap on TV.  I stopped at one place for about an hour while I had a small part of a rather stodgy horrible pancake and watched.  No one moved.  The backpackers had free lounging space and free wifi, the shop workers woke to take orders but the TV played the soaps.

                               

Later I wandered around town just checking things out and deciding on where to have dinner.  I stopped at a place with a great view, the Vanphaxay Restaurant,  hoping to get some shots of the sunset but no visible sunset as it was too cloudy. While I sip on my nescafe, I am listening to the Beatles, the Who and others,  gazing at the limstone mountains and watching the long boats go up and down. Far in the distance I can hear the gentle lull of a woman singing the most beautiful song. Haunting and eerie as the mist closes in over the mountains and surrounds the restaurant. 

                                    

I watch a young kid, naked, hiding behind a sign as he had been swimming where the long boats come in and was kicked out of the way.  The sign may have provided coverage for his front but his bum was shown off to everyone in the restaurants along the shore.  Poor kid, I wonder if he knew that everyone was taking photos of his bare bum.

                                    

In front of me four asian guys order food and a bottle of scotch.  Looks like it wont take them long to finish it off at the rate they are going.

                                     

I keep wandering and find myself in a tourist shop looking at local fabrics.  I love them, but here there is another interest.  They have a loom and look as though they weave their own fabric.  Note to self.  Come back tonorrow.  I eventually end up back at the hotel. as I go to walk up the outside stairs the first few drops of rain start to fall.  Drip, drip, drip.

So much for planning where I was going to eat.  Not going anywhere further than the hotel restaurant, where I am now.  The drips have turned to a constant stream of solid drops.  For the first time since I left home there is something other than oppresive heat in the air.  I love it.  The restaurant is filling up.  Seem like all the other patrons have the same idea.

They bring me my beer lao, my lemon grass and chilli cashews, freshly fried and yes, you guessed it.  I copped the chilli first mouthful.  Thank goodness for the beer Lao. The burning subsides and I get to try the BBQ Pork on lemon grass skewers.  Oh yes!  So good.  The cashews aren't too bad either.

Guess I am not going for my banana roti as I had planned.  I watch the people cycling past holding an umbrella.  Rain does funny things to what would normally be ordinary things.  Cyclists with umbrellas - hilarious.

Returning to my room I switch on the telly to hear some noise as it was so quiet once the rain had stopped, I respond to a few emails and then the eyes start to close. And then it started.  I think someone is determined that I will never get a good nights sleep, because not only is there stupid music coming from along the  street frontage but  I'm getting it from the rear section too.  Give me a break guys.  If it is not noise at night it is some annoying person (or roosters) waking me up early.  Go away all of you or shut up.