Phonsavanh to Vientiane

13-08-09

I thought I’d booked a VIP bus to go from Phonsavanh to Vientiane but as usual, it wasn’t quite as expected! It was a typical ramshackle local bus with open the windows for air-con. The driver and conductor were working on the engine when I got there but we set off more or less on time.

After about ten minutes, the driver stopped at a silk farm and waited a while until a little woman came scurrying down the path. She got all smiling and apologetic and off we set. The driver kept talking on his mobile (apparently not illegal here) and looking worried. We stopped again at the top of hill and the driver got out as did everyone else. It was too early for a toilet stop and as no-one spoke English, the five Europeans were thinking the bus had broken down.

After a further thirty minutes, a pick-up truck loaded with people and boxes pulled in front and started to offload on to the bus. I bet Fishwicks wouldn’t have bothered! The driver pipped his horn and we all got on – or so we thought. Suddenly rushing down the road came the silk farm woman carrying a three foot tree complete with roots and got on the bus.

The road went towards Luang Prabang – obviously only one road along the mountain top until there was a small village. We turned left towards Vientiane and carried on climbing. We stopped at the equivalent of a transport café in a village on the top of a view to die for. Lunch was noodle soup or buffet and cost 10,000 kip (about 70p).

After that we started the descent to Vientiane – through more magnificent scenery but this time limestone pinnacles. According to one knowledgeable soul, they had once been at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. They’d traveled quite a bit then.

Vientiane seemed so busy after the villages and it was quite a shock to see traffic lights. It is the biggest city in Laos and has 300,000 inhabitants. As we got in quite late (19:30), it was a ride on the tuk-tuk into town and then start looking for a room. I tried one or two hotels but they were quite expensive ($20 or more). A tuk-tuk driver asked me if I needed a room and he would help me and it would only cost 10,000 kip. Seemed a bargain to me and it was still very hot so I climbed in. We went about 100 m when he stopped at the Souxsana guest house. I got out and was told that he had a room with air-con for 130,000 or with fan for 110,000. The driver said to go and look at the room before I decided. It was up three flights of stairs and no lift. However, it was fine, clean and with own bathroom and hot shower. Although it is very hot here, I do not like cold showers!

14-08-09

I woke up early and had raisin toast, coffee and fresh fruit for breakfast then went walking. I found the river, day market and tourist information plus seeing several temples on the way. Next was a walk to Pha That Luang – the most important stupa in Laos, passing on the way Vientiane’s equivalent of the Arc de Triomphe. It has never been completed and looks quite forlorn there although it is on a lovely wide avenue with a park at the back of it. A coat of paint wouldn’t go amiss. It is possible to climb up for good views of the city. I passed on that!

Pha That Luang was a bit of a disappointment, although it looked good until you got close. I paid to go inside but you could only go up two levels and there wasn’t too much to see. There are several very impressive temples around and you didn’t pay to go in them.

I decided to go to China Town for supper and passed the Lao Cultural Hall on the way. There were a lot of people and stalls there so I asked a man what was going on. It was fund-raising for the Lions and there was a fashion show and a concert – tickets all sold out unfortunately.

I passed a laundry and asked them if they could do my laundry for the next afternoon as the girl at the guest house wouldn’t do it as ‘it was raining’. I asked how much and was told 50,000 kip per kg for washing, drying and ironing. I then realized she had said 15,000. I told the girl I didn’t want the ironing as everything gets rolled up in a rucksack. I was rapidly running out of clothes so I went back and got the laundry.

As I was too late for the night market, I had my meal at an Indian restaurant I’d seen in the morning. It was very good too!

15-08-09

I needed to book my ticket for Pakse and had been told by the tourist office that I could get a bus from round the corner. I waited for ages at a bus stop but none came. The young man parking cars asked where I was going then told me I was on the wrong side! I crossed over and waited for ages again then spotted buses going round the corner further up the road. On investigation, there was a bus station there. The tuk-tuk drivers all want to know where you are going and one told me to sit down and he would find out. After ten minutes I decided to give it up as a bad job when he came rushing back and put me on to the right bus.

I found the right stand and booked the night sleeper, leaving at 8 pm then came back to town. I was walking through Talat Sao (the one shopping mall in the whole country) when I saw a Sony camcorder for sale. It seemed a reasonable price so I bought it. The man demonstrated it fully to me then packed it up and off I went.

I picked up my laundry, packed it away and went to the bus station for the sleeper.