Our First Taste of Laos

We were frankly quite grateful to arrive safely in Laos. We had booked a flight from Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines to avoid using Laos Airways: an airline with such a bad safety record (allegedly - *1) that they have stopped recording incidences; an airline with no radar (allegedly - *1); an airline that even Lonely Planet warns against using (*1). An airline that Vietnam Airlines outsourced to on this occasion (fact). Thirty other confused, bewildered and worried looking passengers boarded with us on a plane that looked like it belonged in Lego land. Thankfully, we touched down safely and Beth almost kissed the tarmac in delight.

The heat of Laos hit us immediately - 35 degrees was very welcome after the cold of North West Vietnam. Travelling into Vientiane from the airport, the first thing that struck us was the traffic (not literally for a change). Cars outnumbered the 'bikes, there was no horn-blowing, drivers used there indicators and generally, the pace of life was three times slower than Vietnam.

After checking into a pretty shocking excuse of a guesthouse, we set out to explore the city by foot. We followed the Lonely Planets architecture walking tour and what at first appeared to be a tumbling down city with roads in pieces and shops with barely a roof on, soon became an interesting hotch-potch of architectural styles. Ancient wats contrasted with old colonial French buildings in contrast again with buildings like the Presidential palace which could have been 'nouveau Laos' if such a term exists. A legacy perhaps of being the most heavily bombed nation in the history of warfare (*2), courtesy of America.

In the evening, we chilled out in a lovely restaurant along the river (well along the river bed since the river was somewhere near Thailand due to the dry season), consuming Beer Laos and eating the traditional laap dish - meat, lemongrass, bean sprouts and sticky rice. It just proves that guidebook recommendations date very quickly; Beth spent the entire night writhing in a bed of her own sweat, running frequently to the toilet (often missing) and vomiting all over the floor. 48 hours later, she was able to try food again and venture from her bed. It was poor Steve who needed the rest after cleaning up her sick and generally playing nurse for a few days.

Vientiane itself is neither particularly beautiful or interesting and one day in the city is plenty (unless you love wats or are bedridden by food poisoning). So as soon as Beth could walk again we took the bus further north to Luang Prabang.

*1 - Lonely Planet Laos - 2003
*2 - on a per capita basis from Lonely Planet Laos - 2003