The start of the long trip

Vientienne

Arriving in the capital city one immediately notices the French influence with houses romanitcally nestled behind bursts of flowers, serene shuttered windows, and the giveaway french translations on signposts. Laos was under the protection of France from 1893 until the Franco-Laotian Treaty of 1953 granted full Independance to Laos and thereafter internal tensions between royalist, neutralist and communist factions ensued.

During our walking tour of Viantienne we sat by Buddha in many of the Wats, visited churches, strolled along sandy main roads, greeted locals and received warm smiles in return. Children ran up to us asking 'What is youor name?", Buddhist students bade us "Good Morning " and conversed in english with us. Spie was a 15 year old chap dressed in is bright orange robe and holding a London black umbrella above his shaved smiling head to shade out the sun. After snapping his image with his permission at the Sacred Stuppa he waited for us to chat as we walked down the 3 km stretch towards the Victory Memorial - Arc de Triomphe. We all love Laos and plan to stay longer than our original few days depending on which areas are accessible and not in too much danger from rebel geurillas which tend to cause disurbances on the aptly chosen Route 13.

Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd Janauary 1998

Hotel; Dokhuon Hotel, Vang Vieng

Room Type: Large double room at 5,000 Kip ($2)

Verdict: Lovely, clean, ensuite bathroom with shower
Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng is one of the most untouched unspoilt places we have been to thus far. Traffic congestion consists of motorbikes, bicycles, strolling villagers and the odd car. At sunset locals wash on the banks of the Nam Song river. Kids kick a football on the sand spit in the middle of the shallow river, their silouhettes against the severe jagged fierce mountains against the pinky misty hazey skies the perfect National Geographic cover as they laugh and cheer when the camera flashes. Sounds that fill the air are grunts and whines of pigs, cockerals begerking, new born chicks chirping beside cows maternally licking their day-old calves still unsteady on the spindly legs. The evenings sounds change to the banging of women bashing the culinery offerings for the night and the sizzling of fresh food while distant radios hollow out Thai music. The bright round faces of kids light up in luminous smiles of Sab-ay-di as you pass, their stretched arms hand-in-hand reaching up to a radiant young mother. They are so cheerful greeting every one of the few westerners with the same enthuiasm and infectous smiles. Come here before the tourist coaches do. Explore the limestone caves and delightful brooks, flowing waters and sectacular landscapes. Come here to relax and be contented to succumb to the lazy atmosphere wandering with no maps save for the ones drawn by fellow travellers after discovering hidden wonders during their explorations. Reminders of technological developments are limited to the pilons for electricity, copies of TIME magazine on the balcony of our white-washed hotel.

Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th Janauary 1998 (inclusive)

Hotel; Vienkeo Hotel, Luang Praban

Room Type: Large double room at 12,000 Kip ($5)

We got to Luang Praban at 11pm without a clue where we were when we were dumped outside the town. Luckily a taxi was probing the pavemets late at night looking for vulnerables to rip off so on we hopped to find our hotel around the corner. Rooms were available which was a double fortune as we had arrived against all odds in one piece and got the hotels rooms which we heard were limited. I guess most people did not dare Route 13.

Exploration of this lovely city began when we decided to take a route up steps that looked interesting. The ascent lasted longer than expected but we were rewarded with a fantastic view over the city and the meeting point of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers together with old Wats, stuppas and Buddha images amongst hedgegrows and caves. Descending to the north we visited the Royal Palace (Haw Kham) built in 1904, which has been a museum since Kind Savang Vattana and his family were exiled to the north after the 1975 revoloution. Along the banks of the river we observed life in this french-influenced beauty. Long boats and larger colourful cargo boats laze by the shores of the Mekong while their weighty cargo is painfully carried on bended back up the sands to the markets. Roadside stalls sell fresh fruit, fish and meat including bats and rats. I only got as adventurous as an orange which was tasteless. Maybe the speciality of cooked moss is tastier but I did not give it try. Niether did I try the other breakfast treat, the old jam made from local herbs and dried buffalo skin - which we all know and love.

There are many roadside stalls and markets for cheap eats. Luang Praban has also a tremendous range of great restaurants especially superb french cuisine and bakeries. Recommended is the elegant French bar and restaurant Duan Champa on the Nam Khan river. Dine on chunks of pate, scrumptious salads and succulent gnarlng steaks, wonderful french cuisine - for about $3 each. La Saladarie another french treat.

Music at the one and only nitclub is delivered from the stage by a young band who sang all the old favourites live like Engelbert Humperdinks XXXXXX while local lads slow-danced wth slight giirls and some foreigners joined in towering over the vertically challenged locals.

Women form remote minority villages sell crafts on the roadside along the main route in Luang Praban. A German gentleman has opened an impressive craft and natural products shop and is awaiting permission to add a bookshop up near the main Wat.

Kuang Si Falls are huge Limestone water cascades 29km south of Luang Praban. The jumbo which cost 5,000 kip each. En route we strolled around a small village watching children throwing marbles, mothers breast feeding newborn infants and young girls weaving reeds into roof canopies as they listened to the slow songs on the small transitor radio at their feet. In the rice paddies our driver explained the method of growing wet rice. Seeds are placed in extremely wet square fields until the saplings grow which are then planted by hand for 4 months growing when they are ready to be cut, cropped, dried and separated. The moist green fields and the bended locals with clonical straw hats planting the saplings in unbelievably straight rows was just like a scene out of one of Olivers' or Stephens' movies.

Having reached the waterfall we climbed the left side with difficulty, absolutely wrecked and slipping in our sandals. We ended up past the top of the waterfall -missed the turn off so back down we trudged looking for a possible turning point. We eventually came cross the secluded bathing point. Here the water was cascading from on high and the limestone formations had formed natural pools with ragged branches and undergrowth in the milky acqua water
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Monday 26th January 198

Hotel;Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientienne

Room Type: Two large double beds ($15). We arrived in at 1am and had no choice.

Verdict: Clean, ensuite bathroom, loads of mossies.

There is definitely a bus / truck from the main bus station at 5.30am. and perhaps a few more there after. We did not get any two answers on timetables the same so we got on the 5.30am vehicle to be sure of a seat. The truck broke down and we spent 6 hours in a remote village awaiting a spare part to fix the steering. Once again be patient while travelling in Laos. We finally arrived in Vientienne at 1am the next morning.

Hotel;Savanbahao Hotel, Savannahket

Room Type: One large double beds (4,500kip). .

Verdict: This cheap acommodation was not good.

There is a private company bus for 10,000 kip (same as the public one) south to Savannakhet. Look for posters in restaurants giving the phone number.

The bus arrives in the small sleepy town at 4pm. The riverbank is not as nice as Luang Praban but has a lovely hue as the sun sets in the west over Thailand. Befriend a local student trying to practice english and you will get free information and perhaps even a quick tour.

The Four Seasons cafe is not very french at all but suffices for a few beers. Stroll through the markets.
From Savannahket you can go further south to Pakse,Champasak and the Boleauvan Plateau.

Wednesday 28th January 1998

TO VIETNAM VIA LAO BAO
Up at the gorgeous hour of 4.00am to take a jumbo to the bus station for the 5.30am. truck.
A truck would be taking us on what the Lonely Planet describes as a harsh 10 hour journey over 100km to the border! I settled beside a Lao lady with 8 trays of eggs resting precariuosly at the side of the chair. Under the seat were sacks of produce, boxes of plastic drinking straws and other goodies to be brought to remote villages. A truck is worse than a bus because it is open and exposed to the elements. Granted it has a roof and plank benches but the wind and sand blows through from the front and slaps you in the face. Hard. It was absolutely freezing. Suprisingly the truck was going quite fast and the roads were very good (the only downside beng the stronger blasts on your face).I peeked at the map and it seemeed to be 200km to the border which at this speed would take usbout 6 hours, not too bad,
We reached the border at 12 midday and trudged up the one sandy dirt road. Around the next bend a white-washed building in the middle of nowhere was the exit point for Laos. Across 10 metres of no-mans-land into Vietnam we had to wakeup the soldiers to take us to the locked office and stamp our passports. It was TET, the Vietnamese New Year and cause for celebrations and holidays. Few cross from Laos to Vietnam over land as Lao Bao was the only border crossing open to tourists at the time. Our Passports were stamped with a 3 week visa instead of 4 but we did not complain or bribe as this sufficed.

Because of TET everything was shut and everyone was merily drunk. Aftr 30 minutess walk we reached the place where lone bus was parked and were told $20 to Hue. We knew that we were being ripped off but had no choice. The bus was the biggest crank-pot I have ever had the misfortune to experience. The backwindow was not there, the wooden floor filthy, no support in the benches which were so narrow to you had to balance with your legs and toes cleched to the floor. We found out pretty soon that there was no suspension or if it is possible that the structure of a bus can exaggerate bumps and holes then this bus was an example.

Talk to other people who have cossed to see if there is a soloution. The cost of the ticket is negotiable but the comfort not. Maybe it would be better not to undertake the whole trip in one day and you'll be in better spirits Perhaps I was just in grumpy form.

B>ARRIVAL IN HUE