Posted by: Jonathan
The day we left Vang Vieng happened to be Valentine's Day. We started the day off with big breakfasts with all the fixings and washed it down with sweet strawberry shakes. Then we hopped into a van taking us to our VIP bus, at least in theory. The van dropped us off in an abandoned gravel lot and drove off, there was no one present, affiliated with transportation or otherwise. After about an hour a VIP bus pulled in and loaded half of the travelers waiting, Jenn and I didn't make the cut. After twenty more minutes of waiting a small, non AC, metallic rectangle with wheels pulled in. Jenn and I boarded grumbling at how close we were to getting on the ever elusive VIP bus that left a half hour prior. Aching and cramped two hours into the five hour ride, we passed the VIP bus broken down on the side of the road...our seats immediately seemed more spacious and the knocking engine was more mellifluous than ever.
The day we left Vang Vieng happened to be Valentine's Day. We started the day off with big breakfasts with all the fixings and washed it down with sweet strawberry shakes. Then we hopped into a van taking us to our VIP bus, at least in theory. The van dropped us off in an abandoned gravel lot and drove off, there was no one present, affiliated with transportation or otherwise. After about an hour a VIP bus pulled in and loaded half of the travelers waiting, Jenn and I didn't make the cut. After twenty more minutes of waiting a small, non AC, metallic rectangle with wheels pulled in. Jenn and I boarded grumbling at how close we were to getting on the ever elusive VIP bus that left a half hour prior. Aching and cramped two hours into the five hour ride, we passed the VIP bus broken down on the side of the road...our seats immediately seemed more spacious and the knocking engine was more mellifluous than ever.
Once in Vientiane, Laos' capital, we checked into a swanky hotel room (more on this later) and grabbed dinner. Jenn was craving some comfort food so we corralled a few chairs at Tex-Mex Alexia, where we devoured nachos, burritos, fajitas, and of course... margaritas. For dessert, Kit-Kat bars and the o-so-rare double stuff Oreo.
Back to the hotel room. Our standards have been driven down over the past months (we typically deem a "nice" hotel as one that provides towels or even a roll of tp), so this place was above and beyond.
AC, Cable TV, bath tub and shower, two phones, clock, desk, bed (soft enough to keep a falling egg from cracking), elevator, concierge service, and drum roll please...full on breakfast buffet. The latter was easily the selling point for me: eggs, sausage, ham, rice, fruit, toast, jam, coffee, tea, and juice in perfect portions...all you can eat.
The purpose of our visit to Vientiane was to secure two month visas to Thailand. The two day process was pretty painless and allowed some time for sight seeing and exercise.
Armed with visas we crossed the border with ease and caught an overnight train to Bangkok.
From the Bangkok train station we navigated the metro to the Indian Embassy. Several weeks ago (on our initial visit to Bangkok) we spent a day applying for Indian visas and they were now past due for collection. From the embassy we hopped on a local city bus to Khao San Road where we spent the day lounging by a rooftop pool (the pool pass cost more than our typical hotel room) waiting for our night bus/boat combo headed for the enchanting island of Koh Tao.
As our time in Laos has ended for now, I feel compelled to say a few nice words about it. I feel like we barely scratched the surface of what Laos has to offer (we just might have to revisit someday). A few interesting things I picked up while there were:
Currency - the Lao Kip is used in conjunction with the Thai Baht and US Dollar. The Kip is a coin-less currency, which I have grown to love this and loathe coins. The largest bill in circulation is the 50,000 note which is worth $6.41. Just a few years ago, the largest bill was the 10,000 note which was worth just over a dollar. Trips to the ATM often leave you with stacks of bills thicker than a Webster Dictionary, especially when the ATM runs out of bigger bills and gives you ones worth less than a dollar for your $200 withdrawal.
Drugs - Opium is about 200 times easier to find than double stuff Oreos. Even though drugs are prevalent and are even sold/used in many restaurants, they are still illegal. Being caught is a stiff $500 fine or jail, your choice.
Prostitution - Also illegal, as it is throughout all of SEA, only difference here is, it is actually enforced. A $5,000 fine if you are caught (typically a hotel owner tattles on you) with a Lao woman, who isn't your wife, in your room with you. Without any experience on this subject I can only re-tell what I hear. It is quite common for the working girl to rob you blind at some point in the transaction because you can't go to the police about it. If you do, the police will take your word for it - that is, that you had a Lao woman in your room and you can't walk out until you pay the $5k.
People - Easily my favorite part of Laos was the people. It seemed the people with the least were the happiest. We ran into fewer touts, lies, and "mistakes" with our change in Laos than any other country. A few examples of the kindness we ran into:
- When walking through a Buddhist monastery a monk invited me to sit and chat with him about religion.
- After Jenn and I booked bus tickets at an office, we were invited to share a meal and drinks with the family who ran the office.
- One afternoon I was walking down a street and noticed a young guy cleaning the fairings on his electric scooter. I admired his ride and gave him a thumbs up as I walked away. Three steps later I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to find the keys dangling in my face. He wouldn't take no for an answer so I took his most priced possession for a spin around the block. He was grinning ear to ear at me enjoying his scooter.
These are just a few of the many instances we that we felt the people went above and beyond to welcome us into their country.
IN OTHER NEWS
Today marks our six month anniversary of being on the road. Time has flown by, feels like it has only been a month or two. We miss all of our family and friends back home and we truly do appreciate your love and support which make it possible to stay traveling.
Two months ago, while in Vietnam, we took an overnight boat trip through Halong Bay on a boat called the Dream Voyage. Although, the Dream Voyage was newer than most on the water and had recently passed it's safety inspections, it sank during the night last week. Of those on the boat, 15 escaped but unfortunately 12 perished as the boat sank in under 60 seconds. Click here to read our post on Halong Bay. Click here for a news article on the incident. This is a frightening reminder of how quickly and unexpectingly things can go wrong. We appreciate your continued prayers for our health and safety.
Currency - the Lao Kip is used in conjunction with the Thai Baht and US Dollar. The Kip is a coin-less currency, which I have grown to love this and loathe coins. The largest bill in circulation is the 50,000 note which is worth $6.41. Just a few years ago, the largest bill was the 10,000 note which was worth just over a dollar. Trips to the ATM often leave you with stacks of bills thicker than a Webster Dictionary, especially when the ATM runs out of bigger bills and gives you ones worth less than a dollar for your $200 withdrawal.
Drugs - Opium is about 200 times easier to find than double stuff Oreos. Even though drugs are prevalent and are even sold/used in many restaurants, they are still illegal. Being caught is a stiff $500 fine or jail, your choice.
Prostitution - Also illegal, as it is throughout all of SEA, only difference here is, it is actually enforced. A $5,000 fine if you are caught (typically a hotel owner tattles on you) with a Lao woman, who isn't your wife, in your room with you. Without any experience on this subject I can only re-tell what I hear. It is quite common for the working girl to rob you blind at some point in the transaction because you can't go to the police about it. If you do, the police will take your word for it - that is, that you had a Lao woman in your room and you can't walk out until you pay the $5k.
People - Easily my favorite part of Laos was the people. It seemed the people with the least were the happiest. We ran into fewer touts, lies, and "mistakes" with our change in Laos than any other country. A few examples of the kindness we ran into:
- When walking through a Buddhist monastery a monk invited me to sit and chat with him about religion.
- After Jenn and I booked bus tickets at an office, we were invited to share a meal and drinks with the family who ran the office.
- One afternoon I was walking down a street and noticed a young guy cleaning the fairings on his electric scooter. I admired his ride and gave him a thumbs up as I walked away. Three steps later I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to find the keys dangling in my face. He wouldn't take no for an answer so I took his most priced possession for a spin around the block. He was grinning ear to ear at me enjoying his scooter.
These are just a few of the many instances we that we felt the people went above and beyond to welcome us into their country.
IN OTHER NEWS
Today marks our six month anniversary of being on the road. Time has flown by, feels like it has only been a month or two. We miss all of our family and friends back home and we truly do appreciate your love and support which make it possible to stay traveling.
Two months ago, while in Vietnam, we took an overnight boat trip through Halong Bay on a boat called the Dream Voyage. Although, the Dream Voyage was newer than most on the water and had recently passed it's safety inspections, it sank during the night last week. Of those on the boat, 15 escaped but unfortunately 12 perished as the boat sank in under 60 seconds. Click here to read our post on Halong Bay. Click here for a news article on the incident. This is a frightening reminder of how quickly and unexpectingly things can go wrong. We appreciate your continued prayers for our health and safety.