Well, like most capitals, I don’t really like it. There are lots of people and lots of tourists and lots of hawkers around. We were even approached if we need weed. However, the good thing in capitals, you can have the alcohol for a cheaper price – Beerlao for 8,000 kips. Not the cheapest but at least it’s not for 10,000 kips as in most places are.
I’ve met Maria, a German CSer, in Vientiane and we planned to travel together in the next weeks. Meeting a new person is nice and meeting the person you’ve met for many occasions during your trip is great. There he was, looking up his Lonely Planet for the right address of his hotel – Alistair. He’s a real dear person and an inspiration for the future me – still travelling at his prime.
We brought him to the street where our hostel is and showed him some other options for accommodation. We asked some hostels and some of them are quite a good deal BUT there seems to be a rule of not going back to ask again OR ELSE prices go up. And so was the case. He found a nice place anyway.
As for our hostel, it wasn’t expensive but it wasn’t comfortable too. Three-bed room with one ceiling fan which is hanged on the wall opposite my bed – the air just doesn’t reach me. I can open the window which is directly on my head board but the noise on the streets is somehow so much to bear… but I really have to open the window. Enough complaining!
The highlight of my stay in Vientiane would be finally meeting Daniel, another fellow CSer, whom I missed in the Philippines, missed the second time in Luang Prabang and luckily met in Vientiane after almost missing him again (he went on a boat ride/dinner with some locals and lots of drinking which gave me doubts of meeting him).
These are the same locals whom we went out with partying in Vientiane. We don’t know where they’re bringing us but we joined. We ended in a disco and they ordered Johnny Walker Black Label and cola… Cool! Expensive drink in Laos finally – the catch is it’s expensive – we paid 75,000 kips each. Compared to the local whisky we try to contain ourselves that only cost 11,000 kips.
We forgot about saving money that night. For whatever the “cost” is… it’s the happiness that counts.
***We all had really bad hang-overs the next day and headed to the Scandinavian Bakery for some good bread and some greasy stuff to fill our abused tummies with.
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