One Last Adventure – Savannakhet
I’d decided to end my trip with one last big adventure. Rather than flying, I was going to make my way overland from Vientiane to Phnom Penh. I’m glad I did. It was the best part of Southeast Asia by far. The first leg of this trip took me to Savannakhet, a small riverside town across the river from Thailand. Being in a narrow part of the country, Savan is also a jumping-off point for Vietnam. Since the only bus south was the bus I came in on I had 24 hours there.
Savannakhet is a peaceful town with wonderful colonial architecture. I’m not that fluent in architectural styles, but it seems Art Deco to me, so that’s what I’ll call it. While buildings of this type are demolished or spruced up elsewhere, these have not been touched since the French left.
While it is easy to lament the retention of colonial architecture in, say, Kyrgyzstan, certainly one feels less compelled to do so here as these beautiful, faded buildings lend style to the town. I wish we had more buildings like this back home (I can’t believe they demolished the Aristocratic and put up a Chapters!)
Savan, Part 2
Combine the wonderful architecture with looming coconut palms, a lazy stretch of river, and laid-back Lao culture and you have a solid stopover point.
At my hotel, the geckos were out in full force. When the orange sun has finished painting the sky its lovely pastels and the Mekong glistens with the Thailand’s bright lights, the local geckos congregate around light sources to feast upon the copious insects in the vicinity. These harmless little guys are as much a part of Lao nightlife as Beer Lao.
Speakings of nightlife, my new cologne seems to repel females at a phenomenal rate. It’s called Ben’s 30 DEET Wilderness Formula and the lady mozzies won’t come near me. Neither will the blokes, for that matter. It’s a sexy scent you must wear in Savan and most of Laos if you’re not keen on malaria and dengue fever.
Tags: Laos, Savannakhet, Travel
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