Festive That Luang >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 42

Nov 17: Evening, Vientiane

It rained. Some roads turned muddy. Other roads had potholes filled with muddy water. It became less dusty though and it was much cooler to walk.

Wat That Luang was very festive. Even before we reached the temple grounds, banners and streamers in all sorts of colors - red, green yellow, orange and pink - decorated the approach.

Within the temple grounds, there was continuous chanting and religious music. Many people came in groups, with friends and family. Everyone wore new clothes, the men more sombre in their shirt-and-trouser outfits while many women chose a vibrant ensemble to go with their sparkling accessories of gold and precious stones.

None, however, could match the rich, gleaming gold of the central stupa, its spires rising majestically into the cloudy sky. People gathered at the broad, square base of the stupa, offering incense and prayers. Smoke, from candles and joss sticks, and the not-unpleasant smell of incense permeated the surroundings.

Outside, many visitors thronged the huge food and fun fair that surrounded the temple complex and its suburbs. Standing out, among the palm trees, was the ferris wheel. A stone-throw away, people milled around the multitude of stalls selling food, drinks, clothes and sundries, their shopping enlivened by loud pop music.

Further away from the temple complex were rancuous game stalls offering more energetic entertainment, such as hoop tossing. For a small fee, a participant got three to five small rings or hoops. Throw (aiming was optional, it seemed) one of those hoops towards the generous spread of prizes, such as bottled drinks and cans of beer.

A whoop of delight came from a nearby stall. Someone had snagged a coveted prize.

Budget (for two in kip and USD)

Oct 17
Room >> US$15
Tuk-tuk to That Luang >> K5,000
Lunch >> K20,000
Entry to Si Saket + donation >> K5,000
Dinner >> K20,000
Dessert >> K2,000

Oct 18
Room >> US$15
Breakfast >> K16,000
Bus to Buddha Park >> K3,000
Entry to Buddha Park >> K6,000
Bus to Vientiane >> K3,000
Lunch >> K14,000
Tea & coffee powder >> K58,000
Postcards >> K3,000
Titbits >> K12,000
Mend shoes >> K6,000
Dinner >> K24,000
Supper & beer >> K12,000

Next... Lonely Planet to the rescue

Heat and dust II >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 41

Nov 16: Night, Vientiane

The express bus is as fast as the chicken bus.

It took us more than seven hours to get from Savannakhet to Vientiane in our express bus. For some reason, I kept thinking about the hare and the tortoise during this bus journey.

What a waste of money! To add insult to injury, foreigners had to pay more to take the express bus whereas the price of a ticket for the chicken bus was the same, regardless of nationality. Also, this express bus was not as clean as the other chicken buses we had taken.

Midway through our 'leisurely' ride, the driver stopped for lunch. After crossing a bridge, he pulled to the side, where the road curved gently, opening onto on a patch of dusty ground. Erected on this flat land were a few box-like shacks, like the temporary quarters of a construction site. There was a makeshift canteen, a row of offices or dorms (not sure which) and space for vehicles to park.

Ignoring the passengers, the driver and his attendant made a beeline for the canteen, to a table where food was laid out. They ate a tremendous lunch, heaps of white rice with two or three dishes. The rest of us had to make do with over-priced snacks or fried rice or noodles for lunch.

Deciding to eat a late lunch in Vientiane, Annie and I subsisted on our pack of biscuits, bottled water and the last of our M&Ms (Comfort food from home and, yes, they do melt in your mouth, not in your hands!). Most of the passengers looked more than ready to leave this dusty plain by the half-hour mark.

But, not our replete bus crew.

So we waited, languishing in the stuffy bus, hiding under the meagre shade of the canteen or shuffling desultorily in the early afternoon heat. Finally, some forty minutes into our enforced break, the driver slapped on his cap, got into the bus and gunned the machine. We piled in and were on our way again.

At the outskrits of Vientiane, the driver switched off the aircon. Windows flung open; hot, heavy air sunk into the bus, along with fine, light dust. With many people alighting and unloading their luggage, we did not reach Vientiane until half an hour later. I thought we were finishing our bus ride in a swirl of dust, heat and sweat.

But, some 20 minutes later, the driver switched on the aircon again. Windows came down; dust settled. We rolled into Vientiane station.

Addendum

Tuk-tuk drivers at Vientiane station are learning to be the predators that its counterparts in some other countries have devolved into.

This time round, one from this lamentable species asked for US$1 per person (>10,000 kip) for a 5-10 minute Tuk-tuk to our guesthouse. We eventually found one willing to drive us to our guesthouse for 5,000 kip.

Budget (for two in kip and USD)

Room >> US$21Breakfast >> K2,000
Tuk-tuk to bus station >> K3,000
Bus (Savannakhet to Vientiane) >> K80,000
Tuk-tuk to guesthouse >> K5,000
Lunch >> K16,000
Groceries >> K40,000
Dinner >> K49,000

Next... Festival

Tug of war >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 40

Nov 15: Night, Savannakhet

We arrived at the compact bus station bright and early this morning. We did not have to ask around for long before a bus boy beckoned us energetically.

"Vientiane! Vientiane!" He hopped off his bus and reached for our bags.

"But, we're going to Savannakhet!"

"Yes, yes!" And grabbed Annie's bag.

He was certainly enthusiastic and cheerful, but we were not too sure about boarding his to-Vientiane bus yet. We did not want to end up in Vientiane just yet.

So Annie tightened her grip on her bag and soon we were engaged in a lively tug of war, with the guy pulling us to his bus, chained as we were to Annie's bag. No way were we going to lose our belongings in this ignominious manner. And all this while, the bus boy kept up his vigorous litany of "Yes, Savannakhet! Yes! Yes!"

By now, the passengers in the bus must be thoroughly entertained, judging by the number of faces glued to the windows, avidly tuned in to the drama on the floor.

Finally, the bus boy realised he was never going to get us to board through such 'hardsell'. His driver was getting impatient. The engine was rumbling. He stopped tugging and we nearly careened into him, no doubt leading to more mirth from within the bus. He needed the right approach fast to snag his last two customers.

"Yes, yes! Savannakhet, Vientiane!" He finally said the magic words, confirming that his Vientiane-bound bus would stop in Savannakhet en route to the Lao captial.

Up and into the bus we went, greeted by the stony-faced driver in sunglasses and a sea of stares and grins. Ah, foreigners!

The bus pulled out of the station and everyone settled down to the humdrum rhythm of the road. Although we had provided the morning's excitement, we were still charged the full fare to Savan by the grinning bus boy. They say it is a hard life for an artiste. And so it is...

It was a hot and dusty ride in the 'chicken' bus. During the first couple of hours, we stopped and stopped. At some of these stops, hawkers rushed into the bus to sell roast chicken, sticky rice, drinks, watermelon slices and even toilet rolls!

By then, our bus was very crowded. Sacks of rice paved the aisle, with baskets parked on and beside them. These obstacles did not deter the enterprising hawkers.

Several hours later, we rolled into Savan's bus station. After disgorging its two reluctant passengers and a few other locals, the bus sped off to Vientiane, its final destination many, many, more miles away.

Savan is not as dusty as Pakse, but it feels more humid. Walking around town earlier, we saw many buildings that looked abandoned. In reality, only some were; others had people living in them.

Four- and multi-legged problem

Yesterday, Surada (one of our Wat Phou excursion mates) said Luang Prabang (LP) might have a problem with rats. She said she and her husband saw a rat run across their room in Phousy Guesthouse. While in LP, we saw dead rats on the road, flattened by passing vehicles, but both Sayo Guesthouse and Tum Tum Cheng, our accommodation choices in LP, were very clean.

Then, Alex, another excursion mate, added that her room in Lankham Hotel, where we rented our minivan to Wat Phou, had an ant problem. She also told us that she and her friend had been bitten by the ants and showed us some red spots on her arm. Our room in Pakse was okay, but there were ants in our bathroom, no doubt attracted by the insect graveyard and the wet floor there.

Last leg soon

Tomorrow, we begin the last leg of our Laos trip. We have had a great time so far and I am a little sad to leave. On a brighter note, we intend to eat very well on our last two or three days in Vientiane!

Budget (for two in kip and USD)

Room >> US$8
Breakfast + coffee >> K13,000
Tuk-tuk to bus station >> K6,000
Bus to Savannakhet >> K40,000
Tuk-tuk to guesthouse >> K5,000
Lunch >> K15,000
Tuk-tuk to express bus station >> K3,000
Dinner >> K26,000

Next... Vientiane again

Well-dressed thug >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 39

Nov 14: Night, Pakse

I have finally finished my shower. My first attempt to clean up was after our full-day excursion to Wat Phou in Champasak. That was shortly after 5 pm. It is now 10 pm.

To Wat Phou

The journey to Wat Phou was enjoyable. Our merry band of six women and a lone male settled comfortably in the minivan rented from Lankam Guesthouse, where Wendy and her friends were staying. Our driver was the strong, silent type, conversing with an occasional word, grunt or look at Matt, designated our communication conduit by virtue of his gender and his seat next to our driver.

So, congenial company and light-hearted conversation along boring stretches helped to pass the time. A sample:
Surada (Matt's wife): "He dipped his food in horse's blood! Vietnamese delicacy. Got sick after eating!"
Alex: "We stayed at the Royal Peacock in Keong Saik Street."
CL: "This was once a red-light district in Singapore."
Wendy: "Have some of these. Don't know what they are, some kind of fruit."
Annie and CL (eyeing fruit and plucking one from the bush under our noses): "Er, thanks!"

Our journey to Champasak got really interesting at the river crossing, as we were munching the unknown fruit (like a kind of crunchy berry). The fruits, still attached to their twig-like branches full of leaves, was supplied by our taciturn driver, who had left our vehicle for a smoke and bought the bushful of fruits from hawkers nearby. By the river bed, some locals were selling fish, so fresh they were still swimming in their cages, half-submerged in the river.

We waited for our turn to cross, then our minivan rode onto the vehicle ferry, which was mostly made up of broad wooden planks nailed together to lay across the curved, hollowed out, bellies of three tugboats secured side by side. Placidly, we made it to the other side of the river without incident, enjoying a light breeze through our opened windows.

We reached the summit of the temple complex after climbing a series of uneven, narrow and steep stairs. The nimble locals, most wearing sandals or slippers, certainly put Annie and I to shame.

Wat Phou would have been a lot more atmospheric if not for the noisy labourers. We visited when the labourers had stopped for lunch. Some had eaten and were singing (nice!), some appeared to be playing games (noisy!) and some were gambling (in a sanctuary still in use!). When they started work at about 1.20 pm, the human noise was replaced by the drone and whine of machines.

Shower, interrupted

We got back from Wat Phou at about 5 pm. The four ladies and guy wanted coffee more than a shower, so they went to the cafe first. Wendy told us this was a new French cafe they had discovered. After agreeing to meet the gang for coffee, we hurried back to our guesthouse to shower off the dust and sweat.

In our room, we found there was no running water. One of the women housekeepers indicated that water should come on at 6 pm. So out of the guesthouse again, to join Wendy and friends.

But, we could not find the cafe. After walking around the part of town where the cafe was supposed to be found, we gave up and headed back to our guesthouse, where, hopefully, a cool refreshing shower awaited.

Unfortunately, six o'clock came and went. And still no water.

At 6.20 pm, we went downstairs to look for help. The man behind the counter got up and went to inspect the taps in our room. Several twists and turns of the faucet yielded no water. Man and tap faced off, in a silent battle of wills. The tap stubbornly stayed dry. Finally, the man said the water would come at 8 pm.

We gave up and went for dinner. We walked to May Kham, where we had a very tasty dinner the previous night. And we met our fellow diner, a 30-ish Dutch woman, again.

Since food was served leisurely, we started chatting across our tables. We recommended the piquant duck. Our Dutch friend told us that this was her second trip to Laos. We all agreed that Laos was a country that grew on us the longer we stayed. When our appetiser, spiced meat rolls, arrived, served by the cheerful lady owner herself, we passed the plate to our friend and she graciously took a small piece. We continued to talk.

Then, our main courses arrived. Duck (again) and vegetables for us and duck for her. Eating alone in a restuarant like this usually meant being stuck with one dish because even the smallest portion was more than enough for one person. Of course, we had to eat the duck with plain rice, just the staple to mop up all that delicious gravy. We got down to the very serious business of inhaling our food and conversation ceased for the duration.

After the meal, we started chatting again and the lady owner was happy to leave us alone after serving us a complimentary plate of fruits. Staff swung by occasionally to make sure our glasses of plain water or Chinese tea were topped up.

An hour later, at about 9 pm, a group of rowdy men and women came in. The women, well made up and in heels, clung to the arms of several men, who were dressed in long-sleeved shirts and tailored trousers. They talked loudly, smoked and brandished decks of cards.

The atmosphere darkened.

Until then, the lady owner was very relaxed and friendly. Now, restaurant staff rushed higgledy-piggledy, at the beck and call of the group. The harried lady owner directed her workers to set up tables for the group to smoke, drink and gamble.

Suddenly, one of the men plonked down at the Dutch woman's table and started speaking loudly and suggestively to her in English. This was the rancous leader of the group, a swaggering middle-aged man with tanned leathery skin.

She ignored him. He ignored us. Then he banged the table and laughed. We decided to leave. The lady owner looked relieved, quickly gave us our bill and sent us on our way.

This is the first time in our visit that we see such loutish behaviour. What makes it most unpleasant is the fear and anxiety we sense in the lady boss and her staff, even as they scamper to cater to the group's demands.

Annie and I walked back to our guesthouse in a sombre mood. When we found water flowing from our taps again, we cheered up somewhat. I got into the shower and had just finished washing my hair and face when the water ran out!

We left our room and found out from fellow guests that our floor (second storey and top floor) had no water again. We thought there was no water because there was not enough pressure to carry the water all the way upstairs. The staff could only stand and grin.

Finally, Annie and I used the bathroom downstairs. It was very nice to clean up after a sweaty, dusty day.

Budget (for two in kip and USD)

Room >> K60,000
Breakfast >> K15,000
Lunch >> K8,000
Minivan >> K100,000 (K350,000 @K50,000 each)
Entry (Wat Phou) >> K10,000
Drinks >> K10,000
Dinner >> K64,000

Next... Tug of war

Heat and dust I >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 38

Nov 13: Afternoon, Pakse

We took the night bus from Vientiane to Pakse last night, a very comfy ride.

I think this is the first time such a service is being tried out. This is, naturally, more expensive than the no frills 'chicken' buses plying the country, whose services we have relied on so far. It used to be too dangerous to travel at night. Bandits, UXO, very bad roads that could send a bus load hurtling into a ravine, and the ever present danger of rockslides especially during monsoon season: the kinds of hazards that made people very reluctant to tempt Fate.

We hoped that the introduction of this service meant that the current situation had become more conducive to travelling - less problem, more business. We took it as a good sign that most of the passengers in our bus were locals.

More private enterprises seems to be entering the market. This new bus service is one example.

By paying lots of US dollars (steep for Lao buses, anyway), we got two very plush armchair-type of seats to sink into. Everything, from the exterior and tyres to the interior, was spanking clean and almost gleaming. There was even a toilet on board. When we took the cheaper local buses, loo stops usually meant hiding behind a rock (free) in the great outdoors or a foul spot (paid) in someone's backyard.

After we boarded, the very nicely dressed stewardess gave out packets of peanuts and bottled water. The snacks were followed by a tasty dinner of rice with chicken and vegetables. Then came the dreaded video. It was some martial arts flick dubbed in Lao. Also, all announcements were in Lao. Very little English was spoken.

Annie and I don't sleep well (often, not at all) during long bus and plane trips. We both agree that we sleep better on the sleeping berth of a train. I think the moving train's hypnotic rhythm agrees with us.

At 2 am, the bus pulled into a deserted station. The driver killed the engine and joined his crew at the side of the bus, looking at one of the tyres. I could see them from the window because they were on my side. After some discussion and more looking, one of them walked off. One went for a smoke.

Then, they gathered again. The crew started to change the tyre. Work stopped. More discussion. One went off for a smoke. Work started again. This routine went on for over an hour. Finally, we set off, to continue our journey to Pakse.

Last night, Peter of Dragon Lodge sat and chatted with us. We did not have to leave the guesthouse till rather late because the bus office was just a short walk down the street. Peter told us that there were, currently, some 20 to 30 Singaporeans working or doing business in Laos. He, of course, knew many of them. I think he said there was some club that the Singaporeans had formed as a means of meeting fellow countrymen. Occasionally, he also helped with arrangements for excursions or exchanges organised by Singapore schools or organisations to Laos.

We had not been able to book a ride back from Pakse in Vientiane. For some mysterious reason, the bus office insisted that we should check with the Pakse office for the return trip. So if we failed to buy two tickets back to Vientiane, we might break our return journey at Savannakhet, stay a night or two before going back to to the Lao capital. On arrival at the small Pakse office, we were not surprised to find out that the night express we came in was fully booked for the return journey the coming Friday night.

We have been resisting the suggestion from fellow travellers to go to Vietnam and Cambodia. Savannakhet is one of the border crossings from Laos to Vietnam. And now, we will be stopping in Savannakhet. We might also meet the Sarahs again as they were heading to Savannakhet and Vietnam after that. Hmm, that border is looking really tempting. Temptingly within reach...

But, more on Pakse. This is one dusty town. Except for the main thoroughfare, paved like Route 13, the other roads have not been paved. Looks like our trip to Champasak may be a more bracing one than we expect, although I'm sure the intertown roads will be in better condition.

However, our anticipated trip to Wat Phou has temporarily grounded to a halt.

Earlier today, we found out that it was rather inconvenient to take public transport to Champasak's Wat Phou. A day trip was not feasible because it sounded so rushed and iffy. We had no intention of being stranded in Champasak as we did not feel like staying the night there.

And we gave up trying to charter a car or to join a tour after futile attempts visiting a few travel agencies around town. First, we only got to see the general model of car (but not the actual car we would be taking) and then we were quoted high rates in US$. The one agency that quoted us in Baht was cheaper than those singing their prices in US$.

When a budget room for two with bathroom and hot water costs US$6 a night and a double in the Champasak Palace goes for US$20 a night, it is a little too expensive to hire a car for several hours for US$25-50!

Just as we were considering giving up on Wat Phou, we ran into Wendy, an acquaintance from our Huay Xai-Luang Prabang boat ride. I asked if she was interested in Wat Phou. Guess what she said? She and a few other friends were thinking of visiting the ruins too!

They were staying at a guesthouse we had dropped by earlier to ask about its Champasak excursion. I had been drawn to an advertisement offering good rates for minivan hire. Now, it looked like we would have at least five people to share the cost of chartering a minivan (350,000 Kip or US$35).

Hooray! Wat Phou is back on our itinerary!

Budget (for two in kip)

Room >> K60,000
Lunch >> K13,000
Drinks >> K2,000
Cakes + drinks >> K7,000
Dinner >> K49,000

Next... Water woes

Vientiane interlude >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 37

Nov 11: Night, Vientiane

We are going to Pakse, then on to Champasak to visit Wat Phou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Can't wait to see the ruins, built from the 6th to 12th centuries by the Khmers on the mountain slope.

For some pre-trip prep, we decided to spend a little time wandering around Vientiane in search of information. The Lao Tourism office was useless. Exotissmo, which sold expensive tours, took the trouble to tell and show us where to buy tickets for the express bus to Pakse, though they did not sell such tickets. Lao Youth Travel also told us where to buy the tics, how much they cost and showed us the schedule. The lady we asked even called to confirm the bus company had tickets to sell for the next run before telling us to go to the bus office to buy the tickets ourselves.

After the morning's fact-finding excursion, we went back to our guesthouse to pack. We were moving to Dragon Lodge.

When we went to the lobby to settle our bill, we saw two large backpacks. Sitting on one of them was our British friend, Sarah. The other Sarah was checking in. Annie and I were happy to see them again. Since everyone was busy moving, we decided to meet for lunch later.

This trip has been extremely precious. It is fun to run into other travellers who have befriended us along the way. It is a wonderful feeling to see a familiar face or two after some time in a strange place full of strangers you cannot or have yet to get to know.

Shortly after noon, we met the two Sarahs as planned. We ate lunch in a small shop selling delicious duck rice. When it looked like we had stayed too long (the wait staff had long ago cleared our plates and was eyeing us discreetly), we continued our chit-chat in a nearby cafe. The ladies were off to Savannakhet next, before heading for Vietnam. We might run into them again. If not, we might meet in Singapore a few months later. We exchanged emails and parted.

Monday is still a quiet day in Vientiane although there are more traffic and people on the roads, compared to somnolent Sunday.

Still, some locals told us that traffic had thickened, compared to three years ago. First, more motorbikes apppeared; then came more cars, they said rather wistfully.

Being typical city dwellers, however, we reckon Vientiane would be even more bustling. Nonetheless, we are glad that Vientiane has not yet gone the way of other polluted, congested, cities in this region.

Vientiane, with enough creature comforts for the urban-oriented, is a most charming place to while away a few relaxing days.

Budget (for two in kip and USD)

Nov 11
Room >> US$15
Breakfast >> K16,000
H2O >> K1,000
Lunch >> K24,000
Coffee >> K13,000
Dinner >> K14,000
Cakes + H2O >> K6,000
Bus to Pakse (advance) >> US$24

Nov 12
Breakfast >> K14,000
Internet >> K6,000
Lunch >> K14,000
Coffee >> K18,000
Dinner >> K20,000
Supper >> K2,000
Drinks >> K3,000

Next... First night bus to Pakse