A CAPITAL CITY?
(KHMER TALES PART 4)
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1/5 Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Our last e-mail was from the town of Vang Vieng. An easy place to lose your motivation and hang out for days...weeks...months... But, after a last fling tubing down the Mekong (not a very exciting fling, but very relaxing), we decide to head to Vientiane.
We both realize this is the first time we have seen a traffic light in Laos. They have about 4 or 5 intersections where they are in use! Climbed the Anousavari monument built in the late 60's, early 70's. A great spot from which to see Vientiane is a reasonable sized town with lots of greenery. The monument is nicknamed "the Vertical Runway", because the government was running out of funds to build it, but cement from a US government contribution to improve the airport runway somehow managed to find it's way into the monument! When they charged an admission fee, Lois & I both were tempted to object saying that our government and our taxes paid for building it. We decided a little discretion might be better... This past Friday, we rented bikes and rode around town checking out all the Wats. I have to admit that after a while, (30 minutes for me) you get "watted out". So, some Aussies we met in Vang Vieng recommended a foe stand for lunch. Foe is noodle soup, accompanied with a plate of greens. You spice up the soup with the variety of sauces on the table, add whatever greens you like and eat up. We followed this with a hot green papaya salad with noodles. In Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, we had been mostly eating at tourist places. Our lunch reminded us that sometimes a non-touristy place can have the best food. I'd like to give you some random thoughts about Laos and what we've seen. Temperatures: Thankfully, it is getting warmer as we head south. In the north, the temperatures were comfortable during the day (9:00AM - 4:00PM), but there was a definite chill in the air outside those hours. Vientiane is the first place where we don't need comforters while sleeping. Costs: As you can tell, Laos is cheap. Lois and I are not scrimping and even with Lois doing her best to support the local economy and buying as many handicrafts as possible, we are finding it difficult to spend $20 per day for the two of us!! Napkins: A napkin here is a roll of toilet paper on the table. What's funny is that they have a toilet paper holder specifically for dispensing it at a restaurant table. Water: Many houses have running water and sewer, but some do not. In small villages and towns you see public spouts where people go to get their water. The Lao seem very clean. Every afternoon, we see people bathing at these spots and in the river. Guys wear underwear, women bras and a sarong. Safety - Laos seems totally safe and the people scrupulously honest. There is no worry about robbers, pickpockets etc. Teva Sandals - Usually wonderful for travelling. Teradactyls have good support, good traction and I have used them for hiking, climbing waterfalls, trekking, going through caves etc. The problem in Laos is that before entering a house, store or Wat you need to remove them. With Tevas, this takes a little time. Most locals wear flip-flops and slip them off when entering any place. Bamboo Culture: Houses, fences, floor mats, bridges, chairs, fish traps, soccer balls, baskets and soup (yes, soup) are all made from bamboo. Everywhere you go, people are gathering bamboo, splitting it, weaving it etc. Lives of the people: No heat anywhere. Many villages have no electricity at all and small towns have it for 3 hours a night. People use wood fires for cooking, heating water, etc. Do they know they live under a communist government? Does it matter? I don't think so. Some people have generators, satellite tvs etc. In Nong Khiaw, people crowd around houses where someone has a TV set. With the exception of TV and, perhaps, motorized transport, the north is like the US during Laura Ingalls's time (Little House on the Prarie). Most things are done by hand. Best Thing About Laos: The people. We had no idea how wonderful the Laotian people would be. Even in the big city, we still get a smile and a sabai-dee. Tommorow, we head to Pakse by plane ($95 cost of a plane ticket versus a 15-18 hour bus ride wasn't a hard decision). We will be crossing into true Khmer territory. I'll have a little more to say about Vientiane in my next e-mail as all my thoughts have not yet gelled. Don't let me forget to tell you what a grilled silverside is at a certain restaurant on the Mekong River....