Sorry, Vientiane, but really, it is true.
It's a strange place. We arrived in the afternoon, found a place to sleep and headed off to find the Thai embassey so Cork and Bekaa could get multiple entry visas for Thailand. You don't need them but they do make things a little easier. Basically, on arrival by airplane you can get a 30 day visa no bother, but if you cross over by land, it's only 15 days. This cracks down on people staying for too long . . . or something, I don't really know why they do it. I'm sure it's with good reason.
Anyway, if you want a 30 day or more you just go to an embassey and get it sorted. It's not very difficult.
Unless the bloody applications office only opens til 12, that is.
It's called the Patuxai (various spelling exist - just that that as a given in Laos). It looks a bit like the Arc all right, but what makes it funnier is that it was built to celebrate those who died fighting for independence from France . . . also funny is that it's supposed to be an airport.
The American's wanted an airport in the area for use during the Vietnam War, so the Laos took the money, and then built that instead. Loves it!
Afterwards we got some food and planned to watch a film, but the girls fell asleep before we got that far. I read, went to sleep.
Then later that day we ran into the Maltese Falcons again and decided to meet them at 7 for food and some bowling!
Bowling, you say? Yes! There are two bowling alleys in Laos. One in Luang Prabang and one in Vientiane. No word of a lie.
Before bowling we went for food, by which time we'd found Duncan and Swedish Chris, newly arrived from Vang Vienn and Ivo and Tazmania (Alan) from the slow boat - Laos is a fairly small country.
And then we went bowling. The prize? The respect and admiration of the group and this stylish medal, hand-forged, painstakingly, over several long seconds, by myself!
We really are making our own fun here. Seriously. The balls sucked, the lanes sucked and I'm really not just saying that because I suck at bowling. This was certainly a factor, but the balls were in fucking bits too. And the shoes had no soles, so everytime you throw a ball, you risked slipping down the lane after it.
Fun times! Anyway, Duncan won and we went and got a drink afterwards. Me and Bekaa played a new game - "Hooker and Pimp" - the aim of which was to spot who was hooker, and who was a pimp in the place. There were also half-points for spotting ladyboys. I won, which is probably not a good thing when you think about it. I know my pimps, apparently. (again, we're making our own fun)
Then went to another place and it closed more or less 5 seconds after we got there.
Me and Cork headed home while some of the others went of to try and find somewhere else to drink, but they never found anywhere and ended up having a "house-party" for about an hour before Bekaa turned up back at our place, quite possibly regretting her decision to stay out. But hey, she didn't throw up . . . which is a bit of a record for the time I've known her. Which is admittedly fairly short.
The last day was just a waiting game for my bus to Cambodia at half seven. And it was clearly late. Shrug. The girls left at 3, so the last four hours consisted of me, my book and my music, while trying to charge everything I own for a mammoth 24 (turned out to be longer) bus journey to Siem Reap.
So kids, that's Vientiane. The place you go when you want to leave, though it's never as easy as it should be.
Talk to ye soon,
Shane.
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