My Return to Laos
From Isaan in northeastern Thailand I crossed the border into Laos near Vientiane, the capital. Until the 90s there was no bridge connecting the two countries within reach of Vientaine, so travelers had to take a ferry. Luckily now I could use the Thai-Laos friendship bridge and get to the city with little hassle.
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| you can see Thailand from the Lao capital |
Before I crossed over the tuk-tuk driver (motorcycle turned taxi with a back seat compartment installed) took me to a tourist info center. They asked to see my passport and gave me immigration papers to fill out. Then they told me I had to pay the 400 Baht fee ($13). Now the visa fee for Laos is $35 USD - what am I paying them extra for, I asked? Oh, for processing, they replied. I knew that I could just walk up to the border and pay the immigration officials the $35, and even if I gave the tour office the extra 'fee' I would be doing the same anyway. So I told them just that - I will just do it myself and I don't need you to give me a form that is at the border anyway - and walked out of the shop to the real border.
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| tuk tuks are found throughout Thailand and in touristy areas are known for their scams |
Basically the shop was trying to get money from me for doing nothing. They had exit immigration forms to fill out, which are the exact same at the border immigration office.
I had arranged to stay with a couch surfer in Vientaine, and initially I was planning on staying just a couple of days. I ended up staying for the better part of a week, however. My host works for Beer Lao, the national brewer and only beer player in town. Actually it is the only widespread beer available in the entire country. When he told me that Beer Lao controlled over 95% of the beer market in Laos I was skeptical, but after touring the country I believe it.
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| Beer Lao, LBC: Lao Brewing Company |
My host and his coworkers go out around Vientiane nearly every night to eat and drink - Beer Lao of course. The Lao drinking style is quite different than back home. They drink will small glasses capable of holding probably 6 or 8 ounces. But there is never even that much beer in them. Lao people, like many in SE Asia, drink beer with ice. The first time I saw it (back in the Philippines) I thought, hell no I don't want ice in my beer! And after a short time in the sweltering heat my beer was nice and warm. I didn't take long for me to adopt the practice.
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| The glasses are more like the ones we use for whiskey |
It also helps to have ice in your beer because Lao are fond of calling 'moat,' which essentially means down the rest of your drink. If one person is done the rest need to finish to keep up. In the US we like to drink at our own pace. In Laos it is a much more communal affair - hey they are still technically a Communist country! If you don't have ice all that extra space is filled with beer, but you still have to finish your glass with everyone else. So drinking with Lao people and refusing to put ice in your beer is a good way to get drunk quickly!
Other than going out with my host's friends I didn't accomplish much during my time in Vientiane. In fairness there is not much to see in the city. Most tourists only stop by for a day or two or skip the town altogether (my host even told me there wasn't anything to do!). I did some cycling around town with my host's ancient Chinese made bike, spent time with his family, and managed to see a Buddha park outside of Vientiane with a few dozen statues - this is billed as a big attraction for the area and is nice to see if you have time on your hands, but I wouldn't stick around just for the park.
I had arranged for my Vietnamese visa in Vientiane since travelers to Vietnam need to get it in advance. I was told at the embassy to stop by on Friday after 4 pm to pick it up. On the outside of the building the opening hours listed were until 5 pm. I was running late from the Buddha park but got there by 4:40. Just in time, I thought. Until I tried to get into the embassy. They had already closed up shop for the day! Instead of leaving Vientiane on Saturday I had to wait until Monday when the embassy was open again. Inside they had a piece of paper taped to the wall announcing the embassy would be closed at 4:30 - thanks for letting me know!
It worked out to stay an extra few days though. On Saturday night I went with my host and his friends to a concert. The band playing was Thai, but is still popular in Laos. Many TV shows and music in Laos actually is from Thailand, but the languages are similar enough that Lao people can understand it. I also met a French guy who lived in Hanoi and stayed with us for two nights, and he gave me good tips for a motorcycle trip once I went to Vietnam.
Here is a clip from the band I saw. The song is bay far their biggest hit in Thailand and Laos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=940cVR5nIl4
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