Apply for visa at booth 1, pay for visa at booth 3, collect visa at booth 3, then join queue for passport control where you need a completed arrival/departure card. Of course none to be seen so I leave a british lady minding my bag and set off in search. Grabbed a handful for next time. When I got back to the queue I got talking to the woman who lives in northern Cambodia where she teaches people where there are no schools. She told me that she was part of the group who were responsible for persuading Cambodian Parliament to pass laws allowing new schools to be set up to cater for those that had not had schooling opportunities in the past. Interesting lady.
Suitcase collected, baggage checks were non existent so I passed through no problem. SIM procured for a nominal fee, cash obtained from an ATM (500,000 kip = $NZ76.00) and I go off to find the cab. Safely delivered at Vientiane Gardens Hotel I am shown to my room. A nice room, nice bathroom, TV, safe, wifi (sometimes), aircon. Everything I need for USD40 including VAT and breakfast. Can't complain. I was going to stay with Bianca and Michael but there is no way that I can get my suitcases down their street as the road is being hacked up, so the hotel is just fine. As I go to unpack I hear noises from the first floor above. Wooden floors are good for that. How can you amplify a sound 1000 times in a better way. Still it didnt last long but I am thinking that next time I will get an upstairs room.
I go for a wander. I love it. The right mix of basic interspersed with necessity mixed in with a few nice bars and restaurants. So nice to be away from the madness of Bangkok, the neon lights, the shops and the craziness. I stop at an outdoor bar called Khop Chai Deu which I hear later means thank you very much. A cooling lemongrass mint and ginger drink and a few spring rolls later I feel sated enough to keep wandering. I love the smiles on eveyones faces and the fact that they can and do speak English with none of that shrugging that I have had for the last week in Bangkok.
It is so pretty. Amongst the old buildings are some lovely gems of shops with some beautiful handmade jewellery and designer clothing. A bit further along a cool pub. Tourists but not the throngs that you see in other places.
Bianca gets in touch and we meet back at Khop Chai Deu which I easily manage to find my way back to and we stay there fir a drink. A hankering for a Gin and Tonic sees me ordering one. It comes as a glass of ice, a can of tonic, a straw and a small glass of gin. Mix your own and get it just how you wanted. So long since I had a GandT I had almost forgotten the taste. Yummmmm.
A little later we move to a gorgeous bar over the road, called Jazzy Brick, up the stairs made of logs we go to a cosy lounge where we were the only customers. Peanuts and a coke were just what I needed before we moved over the road to the restaurant Amphone which was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Discovery’ TV series. According to Lonely Planet Amphone replicates traditional Laotian dishes based on owner Mook’s grandmother’s creations. It certainly was good. Amongst other things we had Luang Prabang sausage, dried beef, papaya salad, chicken larb, a chicken and lemon grass curry, sticky rice and chicken citronella. All just divine but the larb was my favourite. I just love the flavours and this even better than the Thai version, I think with more basil but whatever, it was great. I ate far too much but loved it all.
Bidding goodnight to Bianca and Michael I head back to my hotel and spend ages trying to get the famous wi-fi that comes with the hotel room to work. Not doing so good here. Then the noise started. Loud, and not really nice, music coming from down the way, loud noise coming from the backpackers next door. I spent most of the night trying to get an internet connection so I could book a hotel for tomorrow and Saturday as they don't appear to have availability here and I don't really want to wait till tomorrow to start looking. Besides with this noise I don't want to stay another night.
Goodnight from my first night in Laos. Yes I like it here (except for the noise at the hotel) and can see why BandM have chosen it as a place to live.
I think it has more to offer than what is immediately obvious and look forward to exploring more.
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