Vientiane, Capital of Lao
After a 14 hour train ride from Bangkok, I’ve gone from capital to capital. The first 2 hours were spent sitting in Bangkok for some unknown reason, Thai Time rivals Cuban Time, but for some reason, it’s less annoying. Guess the comfy bed that I had on the train and a couple yummy sandwiches that Lisa made for me made the time go by faster.
So far so good in Lao. I’m staying on the river just on the otherside from Thailand, which is nice because my Thai SIM card still works here. Nice little town that doesn’t seem like a capital city. The main road thru town is little more than a dirt road, but the city has some fine dining restaurants and some good wine. But the best part of Lao so far is Beer Lao. Finally, back in a country where the beer is cheap and good. It’s difficult to beat a 640mL beer for .80 cents, unless of course you’re in the Czech Republic and u get a Staropromen for .15 cents. Besides the food and drink, there’s not much to do in Vientiane (Vin Chan). I didn’t bring my camera out with me tonight so I’ll post pictures later. I went to see the Patuxai – Victory Monument “Arc de Triumph” Lao Style that looks sorta like a cement Rook from a chess game on a massive scale. I also saw That Dam (Black Stupa) and the pride and joy of Vientiane umm…. Big Golden thing, oh ya That Luang (Royal Stupa). Man this Stupa is really Gold! Impressively gold, even! Besides that, there’s not much else to see here. I did go and get a very nice massage at Wat Sok Pa Luang for a mere $3 an hour. Better than the Thai massages that I’ve been getting in Bangkok. So far, I’ve been mostly impressed with how cheap things are here. i.e. internet for .01 cent per minute or .50/hr That’s nuts! I’ve heard there’s even a cheaper place than that, but couldn’t be bothered to look for it. I think I’ve spent about 10 bucks a day here eating and drinking most of the day. I could sure get used to this.
I’ve found the best internet cafe in all of Asia. It has reasonably quick internet speed upto 756MB with some semi new well managed computers. The best part about it is Ta, he has a good knowledge of how computers work and diligently cleans them of Spyware, adware and viruses. I did my normal clean up job I always do before doing any banking and found only a few negligable items in all my scans. If you’re in Vientiane, you should come here for your internet. The best part is that it’s only 100 Kip/min or 5000/hr. Btw Samsenthai Rd and Setthathirath Rd. towards the river from the National Cultural Hall and Xayoh Cafe in the Lonely Bastard. Just down the street at a guesthouse, it’s 150/min no breaks. 
Tags: Lao, Laos, Vientiane
Kane
Thanks for that – I’ll hit Laos at some point but don’t know when so all the info’s handy! What’s the currency like there? Easy to withdraw in main cities (i.e. ATMs) or best to get it from a bank? Or do they accept Baht, USD…?
Hey Mosher,
Lao is great fun, but money is always a hassel here. Only 1 ATM in the Capital, Vientiane, it’s close to the river, u can’t miss it, it’s within 2 blocks of most guest houses. only prob is that they rip u off on the exchange rate and to top it off they charge u $2 per $70 that u withdraw.
it’s best to bring in USD or travelers checks in USD. I’ll let u know more as I get further north in Lao if I find another ATM. They also take Thai Baht. Biggest problem is the largest note I’ve seen is a $2 bill so u end up carrying loads of cash.