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January 16, 2007
It’s 6:15 AM. Outside the train station in Nong Khai is still dark and curious tuktuk drivers still observe what I do. You can count the number of tourists on one hand. I went outside where a few more drivers sat near the fire. I paid 50 baht for a tuktuk to the border, a ten minutes drive. On the way the driver stops in the Visa Service + Bus which I already heard of as a scam. The bus fee, including help for filling the Visa forms, is 2000 baht which includes also the Visa itself. I politely refused to the offer. Before we went on the girl in the agency gave me a tip to pay in dollars and not in baht because of the low conversion rate ($31 USD vs 1500 baht). It’s a little before 7:00 AM and I’m already in the Thailand - Laos border. The exit from Thailand goes without a problem and I go on the local bus that cross the friendship bridge which separates Thailand and Laos. You are not allowed to walk there by foot.
Crossing the border to Laos
The Laos border is located at the other side of the bridge. The place is completely empty, only two German tourists are waiting for the Visa approval. Those who don’t have a Visa have to approach a small windows, open it and hand the clerk 1500 baht or $31 USD. I gave him $35 USD, my passport and a passport photo. I was then told to wait.
Twenty minutes later I got back a stamped passport and $4 USD which I really didn’t think I would get back. A moment before I left I saw the tourists bus arrive from that I agency I skipped before. They’re probably going to wait for quite some time….
Some bargaining with a few tuktuk driver dropped the price from 250 baht to 150 baht. In the end we settled on 100 baht when the driver is loading local passengers all the way to Vientiane. The time was already 7:30 AM and it was very crowded in the tuktuk. One of the passengers told me he came back to Laos from Nong Khai in Thailand after an eye check. He works in a quality of the environment office for the government in Vientiane. I told him where I’m headed and fell asleep. The tuktuk drove very slowly and after an hour we arrived at Vientiane. All the passengers got off, so I reminded the driver he has to find a guest house for me. I didn’t buy a Lonely Planet guide so I had to count on the driver’s recommendation. After he consulted with a few tuktuk drivers we went on driving. We stopped at a nice place where they charged 700 baht. I found out it was a hotel so we kept looking.
We arrived at another place - Sihom Guest House. The place looks nice. It’s a new wooden building. Parts were still under construction. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that there was hot water in the showers. Room prices range between 360 to 500 baht for a double room with a fan or air-conditioning or showers and toilets. The time was just 9:30 AM. Some of the room were still occupied so I went outside for a walk. I found a map, converted 5000 baht to the local currency, Kips. I got a huge package of bills (Over one million kip. For a moment there I felt like a millionaire).
Renting a motorcycle in Vientiane
My ankle still didn’t heal from the injury in Kanchanaburi so I went looking for an automatic motorcycle to rent. A search in a couple of places made me realize that there are no automatic motorbikes in Vientiane.
I continued looking and arrived at a place called KT Shop. The owner was very nice and explained there’s no chance to find one in the city because it’s expensive and consumes a lot of fuel. He had several 110cc motorcycles which were half-automatic according to him. Perhaps I should mention that my knowledge in motorcycles aspires to zero. After considering my options, I asked the owner to explain to me how to use the half-automatic. Gladly I found out that the weird clutch is easy to use. There’s no gearstick and no handle you have to pull while switching gears. In order to switch, you have to press with your foot on the kickstand, either on its front or back part to switch to the upper or lower gear respectively. Even the break was not located on the handlebars as I was used to from my other motorcycle. After a quick test with the owner, I decided to take it. Within twenty minutes I was already able to control the gears. I couldn’t believe that the I would take a motorcycle lesson in Laos.
I parked the motorcycle in the guest house. In the meanwhile a cheap room became available. It was a room with a fan, a double bed with no showers or toilet. They were outside but had hot water. I took my first hot shower after a week and went to sleep. The time was already 12:30 PM.
Late tour in the capital of Laos
Four hours later I woke up. I arranged my stuff and the time was already after 5:00 PM. Everything was closing so I realized I wouldn’t be able to visit anywhere. I took the motorcycle for a spin and a test. The temple in Vientiane, just like in Thailand, are an integral part of the city. Therefore you can watch them from the outside without any special effort while driving on the main road. After a ride to know the area, I drove toward Patu Xay park. On the way I went through the Victory Gate of Vientiane (called Patuxay). It reminded me of the victory gate in Paris, France. Inside the park there were a few Lai kids playing. The entrance was blocked by poles so I had to follow some local riders who entered the park from a near alley.
The Night Market of Vientiane
I drove out of the park and toured the area. I crossed a river and arrived at a local night market, yet again I was the only tourist. The center of Vientiane is flooded with tourists, where they are gathering in restaurants and pubs, but outside the center I didn’t see them. The local market isn’t big but not small either. Those who come with a motorcycle have to pay 2000 kip (about 25cents) for parking service. This way your motorcycle should be protected from theft. It’s customary in markets, clubs and places you go inside for a couple of hours. It’s not only for tourists but for locals as well.
The Lai people in the market were very nice. Most of them gladly accepted to take a photo. The rest were a little embarrassed and did not understand what I’m doing there. After another tour in that area with my motorcycle I came back, around 10:00 PM to the center. Riding on the roads outside the center should be done extra carefully, since many roads are covered with sand or full with holes. I found myself driving in slalom between the holes in some of the roads. It’s not fun to get stuck with a flat tire in the middle of the night.
I are dinner in an Italian restaurant located in the center. There are pastas, lasagnas, garlic bread and other stuff. In two words: No recommended. The food is expensive and not tasty.
While visiting a typical Lai restaurant I noticed the food is cooked and served in a pot. I didn’t try it, but the Thai food looks much better.
This article was originally written in Hebrew. It was translated to English at a later time.
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