Sabaidee from Vientiane, Laos...
It is 10:00 PM in Vientiane, Laos... sitting in my hotel room, Douang Deuane Hotel.
This is a video of the same hotel and similiar room to mine.
So, to recap everyone. I got to Vientiane at 11:15 yesterday. My plane was on time and the flight from Hanoi to Vientiane was about 1 hour, barely enough time for the stewardess to serve us some drinks. Basically, we went up in the air, got a drink of soda, water, or juice... and then we landed. It was that fast.
I did not have my Visa, so I had to get a Visa on Entry. Cost about 35 dollars and it was fairly easy and fast. The Customs Guard took be aside and asked 20.00 because he saw that I have a laptop bag. I gave him 20.00 and was on my way out the door.
The first breath of Lao air was incredible... full of fragrance mix with flowers, grass, and car flumes. It is hard to discribe, but like a welcome sign that I was back in Laos again. I miss it and it felt so good to breath it in again. Waiting for me was my cousin and his young wife. We hugged and they took me to my hotel. We ate some lunch they brought, boiled chicken, (kimchee) sour greens?, and some bbq pork I purchased from a street vendor. It was a very good meal with friends. After lunch at my hotel room, we walked over to the "Morning Market". I bought some clothes for my nieces, my cousin has two daughters. I also brought them their bus tickets home... and they promptly left me after we had some PHO for dinner.
I came back to my hotel alone and slept for about an hour, at around 7:00 PM, I walked down to the Mekong River Bank for the Night Market. There were many vendors... some had clothing, arts, crafts, jewelry and more food. Head one of vendor playing "Gangnam Style", for a moment, I thought of home and it brought a smile to my face. I walked a little further down and saw some girls that I believe were Hmong. There we about 4-5 of them, all laughing and seems to be having a good time. Again, I smiled but did not speak. I walked some more and came upon some Hmong vendors who had "flower cloths" and Hmong hand bags... again I did not speak and just smile. The was a cool breeze in the air and the sun had just set over the Mekong, it was quit beautiful.
I found a bar near the river with some Lao/Thai music playing, I bought a Lao Beer and had a drink. It was cold and it was refreshing. A couple of the Lao girls came over and spoke to me in broken English and asked where I was staying and what I was doing in Vientiane. I told them I was on vacation and I was at a hotel nearby. Very pretty girls... and very friendly. I finished my beer and walked over to the Fruit stands and purchased 1 Kg of logon and some bottle water to bring back to my hotel room. Got back to my hotel room around 9:00 and sleep for a few hours... then got up at the crack of dawn. It is hard for me to sleep in a new place and a new bed. The bed was extra firm and the new smell make me uncomfortable.
I walked down to the street after getting dressed and found a Pho vendor and ate... 10.000 kip for breakfast. Food portions in Laos are alot small by USA standards, but I did not mind because my stomach did not settle well and I was not very hungry... So, early and for the first time, I am feeling alone again.
After Breakfast, I walked over to Anu Savali... it was still very cool and a short walk from my hotel. As it was a weekend, the kids were out of school and it seems like the hang out place for everyone. I bought a soda and just people watch for about an hour. At around noon, with the sun beating down on me, I walked back to the "Morning Market" and did some more shopping. I bought a Portable DVD player as a gift for my Grandmom, it was about 50 bucks, 15 in. I also bought some DVD... mostly Disney Cartoons, Transformer, Lord of the Rings, Spiderman and Batman... all were 5000-7000 each.. or a little less than a dollar.
I ate some lunch on the 3rd floor and walked back to my Hotel. For some reason, I was very tired, I am sure it was jetlag and the time difference that got to me... I slept for 3 hours and got up with a huge headache. That should teach me for sleeping during the day!
I can't believe how friendly the Hmong girls at the Morning Market were... I was alone and everyone of them had a smile and asked who I was and where I was staying and for how long... it was good to just have a conversation again. It was good not to feel lonely anymore.
During the evening, I walked down to the "Night Market" again, hoping to find the Lao girls again at the Bar, but they were gone. A new group of girls were there and a set of new faces... I meet a couple vacationing for Norway who spoke English and we had a beer. Watching the sunset over the Mekong, listening to Lao music, and just taking it all it. I want to be here forever, I feel like I belong. Here, I know exactly who I am. Here, I feel like I belong.
Tomorrow... I going to take a bus to KM52 to visit my Grandmom. Wish all you guys were here!
LHG