Romantic but broken
There are many ways to judge a city: how many good restaurants it has, what type of architecture dominates, the quality of its art and culture. But for me there’s only one real criteria and that’s how comforting it would be in the face of hearbreak. And since heartbreak has become my natural state this is hardly a theoretical question.
I thought about this today as I walked down the crumbling streets of Vientiane. This city feels less like a capital than a forgotten colonial administrative post. If you ignore the Internet cafes and block out the light traffic, it becomes very difficult to place yourself in time here. Old leafy trees with twisted trunks lined the street I walked along. A fine layer of dust floated in the air and coated everything. Grand colonial villas lurked behind decaying walls. I decided this was a fine place to be heartbroken. Then I almost fell into one of the many cavernous holes that are scattered randomly in the sidewalks and realized that for sheer self-preservation I’d need a little less dreamy gazing around and a little more paying attention to where I was putting my feet.
Despite that near-death experience, my initial impressions of Vientiane are definitely favorable. Also, I’ve teamed up with a nice young American gentleman named Ben. We met up at the border and have combined our efforts in such adventures as Find the Cheap Bus Into Town and Find the Guesthouse. His plan is to eat often and well over the next few days and that coincides quite conveniently with my own plans. We’re off to dinner soon at an Indian place near our guesthouse.
I will be here until Wednesday or until I manage to obtain a Thai visa or until I fall into one of the sidewalk pits, whichever comes first.
Tags: Laos, Vientiane
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