Vientiane: Capital of Laos

“Every time you leave home,

Another road takes you

Into a world we’re never in.

New strangers on other paths await.” ~ John O’ Donahue 

Walking around Vientiane last night we encountered a quiet city. A group posed for a formal photograph. We thought at first they might be a group of young graduating police cadets. As we drew closer we realized they were a group of newly hired and trained Hard Rock Cafe employees, standing of course, on the steps of the newly opened Hard Rock Cafe.

We walked back towards our hotel and then took a detour through the park. At Vialy’s Steak House we stopped for appetizers. As we sat talking about our first impression of Laos we were served food that was all freshly made. After Hua Hin and Bangkok, Vientiane is so peaceful and quiet. The staff of the places we have stopped—the hotel, a bar, the restaurant are so helpful even though English is in short supply. This seems a more innocent city and perhaps one that is more willing to please than others we have visited. We find the slower pace, without the hustle of Thailand, welcome. That said, the traffics is still incredible. Crossing the street even at a crosswalk is an adventure.

On Thursday we began to explore the city. When we left the hotel we turned left this time. We came to the Presidential Palace and a wide boulevard. We soon decided to leave this street which was home to many governmental offices and international banks.

On the side street we came to a wine shop. Yes, can you believe it? A wine shop? Baravin Savor’s Club. Inside we found the staff having lunch so we browsed the wide selection of wine and liquors. There were few whites but a huge selection of reds—most if not all, from France. And so France, once ousted from Laos is still here.

Mr. Ken the store manager came to help us. He spoke English beautifully with a lovely French accent. He confessed to studying in both France and England. After purchasing a bottle of a French red blend and a small bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label he made some recommendations. One was to have a glass of wine at 7th Heaven, the rooftop bar at La Seine Hotel.

Later that day our Sunset Food Tour guide didn’t show up which is a whole different story. In conciliation we went to the 7th Heaven bar to whine about our disappointment. But how can you whine when watching the sunset over the Mekong? So we didn’t. We enjoyed our wine, our appetizers, the attentive wait staff and the glorious sunset.

And Dennis says—

It’s Saturday morning, 8 AM and Cindy’s already on my butt about writing something for the blog. I feel like a third grader with the teacher prodding me to do my homework. Sheesh!! I look out the window and realize we’re probably in the safest place in town (not that it’s at all dangerous). Our hotel is right net door to the police station. Up the road are embassies from other countries around the world as well as the presidential palace of Laos. Yep, pretty safe here.

Presidential Palace

Looking out the window, I also see hundreds of electrical wire on poles extending for miles in all directions. I wonder if one goes out, how the heck do they trace it down and untangle the bundles. We’ve seen the same in other countries of SE Asia, especially Vietnam. 😱

One quick story about my traveling partner. Last night we took a tuk-tuk to a nice rooftop restaurant (see photos). The driver wanted 50,000 Kip ($3.00) to take us there. After a few drinks and dinner, we hailed another to take us back to our hotel. I asked, “How much?” He said, “70,000 Kip ($4.00).” I said, “No, 50,000 Kip” and we began to negotiate. Cindy steps in (without a welcome I might add) and tells me I gave the first driver 70,000 Kip. I tell her I know what I paid and it was 50,000. Now, I’m arguing with her and the driver. I gave up! I gave him 70,000 Kip with the caveat to her, “I’m trying to save us money as well.”

You’re probably thinking, “C’mon, it’s only a buck.” But it’s the principle that counts, right? It didn’t come down to pushing and shoving, wrestling on the ground between her and I but, I was right, right? You gotta stand up for what’s right. Which one of us gets an “atta boy/girl”? Sometimes being together 24/7 ain’t easy…😄   

This one gets a rebuttal from Cindy—

I am so sorry that I told him it was okay to make fun of me. He has responded much too enthusiastically. Next he’ll be telling you how I fell down in the airport in Bangkok trying to help him put on his backpack. Sheesh.  

Kick Boxing and Wet Feet

 Our last day in Hua Hin found us sitting on the beach with the warm waves from the Bay of Thailand tickling our toes. A delightful breeze cools the air making this a deceptively temperate day. To get the idea of how hot the sun really is, you only have to look around to see the sunburns on the foreigners. The native Thais are completely covered. A few daring souls wear short sleeves rather than long. What a glorious day!

On Saturday night we had tickets for Muay Thai (kick boxing). We saw Jhonny at Kuiburi National Park where he was on a different tour. We mentioned Muay Thai to him. He was able to get tickets and a seat right next to us. We met him at Heidi’s Garden for dinner before the match. We came to realize that Thai Boxing Garden events were not championship matches. The garden is a neighborhood gym that trains fighters and gives classes to anyone who is interested. When we bought the tickets a man from Finland and his teenage son were there to take a class.

After dinner at Heidi’s the three of us walked down the alley to the gym. We presented our tickets and were rewarded with a Singha beer. After finding our seats in the upper balcony overlooking the ring, we had only a short time to wait before the first match began. For me the formal rites or ceremony before each match was as fascinating as the match itself.

There were five matches on Saturday. The youngest boxers were twelve and their match was three rounds of three minutes each. Both young men gave it their all. After the winner was declared both fighters proceed to walk through the stand and collect money from the audience. Some people only gave to the winner, some only to the loser and some gave to both. This practice was a surprise to us but nonetheless, we participated.

The oldest fighters were grinning for most of their match. The fighter we thought would win, did not. By the last round he was just too tired. Whenever he got a chance in the last round, he took a walk around the ring. His opponent had at least thirty pounds on him and in the end that won over technique.

The best fighter was the young man we met when we went to get the tickets. He won his match by a knockout. WOW! That was a surprise. The even bigger surprise was the walk by the fighters around the stands. Both of them were there with the winner going first. I couldn’t believe the other young man was not off seeing a doctor.

Quite an interesting and exciting evening!

The next morning Cream picked us up with Noi as our driver. We headed out to the mangroves. What a wonderful day! I may repeat because both Dennis and I thought this was an exceptional day. The mangrove park was initiated by Queen Sirikit the mother of the current King Maha Vajiralogkorn. 

The mangroves are traversed by a wooden plank trail that encircle a portion of the mangrove swamp. We barely started walking the trail when the boards were covered with swamp water. Dennis made the smartest move and took off his shoes and socks. Cream and I tried tiptoeing through the water which gradually flowed over the soles of our shoes, soaking our socks. Too late, my shoes and sock came off.

About half way through the loop, is a clearing where the mangrove meets the river. If you wish you can take a boat ride. I highly recommend doing this. It is 450 Baht ($13.00) for 1 - 4 people and 500 Baht ($15.00) for up to 6 people. It is a beautiful ride, ending in brackish water where the ocean and river meet. Passing through fishing villages and into more open water is splendid. 

For me it is mesmerizing to see fishing boats cruising past. Given my experience with sea sickness, I don’t know why I love seeing the boats, the fishermen, and their catches. Okay, some of the fishermen are ruggedly handsome so I get that but really, the catches—a bit smelly.

Once back at the dock at the grove we continued walking on the loop trail so that we could return to our starting point. We had an opportunity to climb up a standing platform to view the magnitude of the mangroves. Dennis did it, I did not.

After a short walk across the road to the beach and the bathroom, we continued on our way to the crab bank.The crab bank was started because the crabs were being overfished. The bank allows the female crabs to deposit their eggs in the “bank”. Then once they are at the next stage (zoea) (see photo of glass) they can be safely returned to the water to grow. The females are then sold. The “bank” has significantly increased the crab population and positively impacted the lives of the crabbers. 

Our final stop before lunch was at a squid processing operation. Dried squid is a favorite food here. After the catch, they are dried, sorted and sold. Then the consumer grills them, rolls them up and they’re ready to eat. The women working here do not have an easy job but they do have a sense of humor. As I was taking photos, one of the women who was sorting dried squid by size said (in Thai), as she pointed across at another woman, “Take lots of pictures of her. Put her on social media so she’ll be famous!” 

Drying the squid

Sorting by size

Drying

Cleaning the squid before drying

Lunch beside the river was luscious and then we met Jhonny at the Cicada Market. This market has everything—food, crafts, art, music. And so ends a fabulous time in Hua Hin.

And then the Cicada Market—

What a wonderfully busy day. And now a final word from Dennis—

Ok, now you have shared with us our final days in Hua Hin, Thailand. Beach, Muay Thai, mangrove swamp tour, fishing village and Cicada Night Market. I can’t say enough about the great little city, the places we visited and people we met. Truly wonderful.

Now we are sitting in our hotel room in Bangkok awaiting a short cab ride to the airport and a one hour flight to Vientiane, Laos. We’ve never been to Laos and I’m looking forward with the hope that it equals the fun we had in Thailand. that being said, I am also very curious. Will there be old guys that look like me walking the streets with lovely young ladies, 20 - 40 years younger than them as there were in Hua Hin?

I’m puzzled, what do these young ladies see in those old guys? I wonder if towns in Laos advertise “weed” for sale next to massage parlors with girls guaranteeing, “a happy ending and a smile” like in Thailand. Hmmm?? Just a few of the questions I have and answers I’ll provide for you as our adventure continues. 

See ya…👺 

Here and There

Today we’re off doing a bit of exploring on our own. Two days ago we were on a Feast Thailand tour which was guaranteed to leave you as stuffed as the bird on your Thanksgiving table. I am always embarrassed when I use a metaphor, especially a goofy one but I couldn’t resist. It really is the only way to describe how full we were. And for the English teachers reading this, if it’s a simile please feel free to correct me and maybe I’ll finally get the difference.

Off we went in the back of a pickup truck with our guide Cream and Jhonny, a new friend from Romania living and working in Scotland. Our first stop was the “Dinosaur” market, so called because it is old and not a tourist market. It is between Soi 45 and Soi 56. And what a marvelous market! Fruit, fish, meat, vegetables, clothes, candy, baked goods, sauces, oils, and more!

We tasted sausages, Chinese pancakes with chives, fried kale, pineapple, BBQ pork with rice, peppers, ginger, herbs, jack fruit salad, and that’s just a sample. The array of food stuffs was astounding. 

After tasting so many wonderful foods, we had a bit of time to shop. We bought several tomatoes, a bag of cherry tomatoes, and a bag of sliced guava that came with a small bag of a mixture of salt, sugar and red pepper for dipping. The fruit looked like a bumpy green apple, very hard, not sweet but not sour.

Stuffed but with more tastings ahead of us we climbed back into the truck. Next stop— a restaurant specializing in organic healthy food. We started with blue rice and fried rice accompanied by tamarind sauce, shallots, and pickled vegetables. This was followed by a shrimp and broccoli dish, another dish of rice with minced sausage, shallots and cucumber, and according to Cream, the best chicken noodle soup to be found anywhere. There were two kinds of noodles in the soup, crunchy and broad soft noodles. It was the favorite for Dennis and Jhonny.

Once again we climbed into the back of the pickup truck. These moments of hoisting myself up into the truck aren’t my finest. They were not accomplished with the natural grace of a ballerina. The pickup was equipped with steps and rails for getting in and out. I’m just not naturally graceful.

Our last restaurant found us enjoying tilapia, beef with fried spice leaves, and two kinds of papaya salad, hot and burn your lips hot. To eat the deliciously grilled tilapia we made a cone of a coriander leaf, placed a bit of fish in the cone, added a dollop of glass noodles, and a bit of sauce. Scrumptious!

Were we finished? No way! Back into that truck and on to a night food court for dessert. I could have this wrong but I think our dessert was called Nam Kong Sai, a shaved ice creation. We each choose 3 ingredients which were put into a small bowl. The items ranged from noodles, potatoes, taro, sweet yams, sweet corn, to mangoes, melon, ginkgo beans, and bananas. I chose mango, melon, and ginkgo. Dennis picked bananas, ginkgo, and mango. Next came sweet fragrant coconut milk topped with a scoop of crushed ice. Very refreshing.

Then came a day for Dennis to explore, shop for breakfast, and pick up laundry. He found a used book store where he could trade in the books he’s read and get a couple of new ones. I spent time working on my art journal. Friday found us on the road again. This time we were going to Kui Buri National Park.

Kui Buri or Kuiburi National Park is a refuge for wild elephants and wild gaur. There are no guarantees that you will see see the animals or birds that populate the park. For me, the very idea of the park with animals living completely free makes it worth supporting.

On the way there we stoped at a fruit market where Mi, our guide bought mangoes. We were surprised to see breadfruit for the first time. They are huge, at least as big as a good sized watermelon! Mi bought us a bag of prepared breadfruit. We really liked it. It’s a bit unusual, not too sweet and a bit sticky but really tasty.

We found the park to be very well cared for, beautiful  and peaceful. The washrooms were immaculate and well-supplied with toilet paper for which I was grateful. Once again we found ourselves climbing into the back of a pickup truck, this time without steps or rails. Oh boy! When the guide saw the look on my face she produced a small step stool much like the one in our kitchen. Off we went into the forest.

The National Park guide has to be one of my favorites because she was able to fix my camera when for some reason, something went wrong. I wish I knew her name. She was a lifesaver!

Back to our apartment to relax and perhaps have a sip of wine or two.

Dennis with a final word—

Me again. I’ve got to give Cindy credit. since she started this blog, the purpose (I think) was two fold: 1. To share with friends the places in the world we’ve been fortunate enough to visit and experience so you can get a feel for it and 2. So that Dennis can see and remember where we’ve been and what we did. No, I’m not suffering from Dementia (I think) it’s just that I have a poor memory. When I see the videos she makes of our trips, I feel again the experience we had. She on the other hand, doesn’t need a tutorial. 

For example, After reading her account of our “food fest,” I asked her, “How can you remember all the different kinds of food we ate? Different rices and noodles? Different spices and fruits? Wine and beer?” Well, that I do remember. 

I asked, “Do you take notes?” and she replied, “No.” 

Again, I asked, “How do you remember all that?” She just shrugged. I related, “If someone asked me what we ate, I would respond, lots of food.” She just laughed and her look seemed to imply, “poor guy.”

It’s kind of like that with emotions for me too. I know happy and mad. I don’t get all the subtleties before, after, or in-between these emotions. How did you like the food? It was good or I didn’t care for it. The toilet? It was clean or it didn’t have soap or toilet paper. 

We both look at the sun. I see it shining or it’s cloudy. Cindy? She sees colors, shades, and hues. I guess this might be what keeps our relationship interesting. That’s all I can write for today. For in-depth photo journalism, please see Cindy 😎