Vientiane - Capitol City and My First Stop in Laos

Although many have written that there's not much to see in Vientiane, the capitol city of Laos, I decided to spend a couple of nights on my way to Luang Prabang.  I'm glad I did.

Getting a taxi was easy at the airport.  You pay the man at the well-marked stand about $7 and he gives your destination to the driver.  Much easier than my nighttime arrival in KL where the taxi driver hadn't a clue where my hotel was and almost sideswiped a couple of cars on the freeway while trying to find it on his GPS.

I stayed at the Ibis hotel and was quite pleased with my new-looking, clean and comfortable room. It was a bonus that it was on the main street and only a few steps from a number of restaurants and shops.

My first stop was to find an adapter for the computer I bought in Malaysia. I hopped into a tuk tuk and the helpful driver joined in the hunt for someplace that sold computers and electrical supplies.  I was successful in finding a $3 adapter.  I was less excited about the $10 tuk tuk ride, which only lasted about 15 minutes.

Next stop - lunch!  After a relaxing and delicious lunch I of course went spa hunting.  That was pretty easy since there were about 6 in one block.  I chose one at random and thoroughly enjoyed a 1 1/2 hour massage for $14.  It was a blend of massaging (with Tiger Balm oil) and stretching.  

On to shopping and sightseeing.  I'd read that there was  a small grocery store tucked behind a bakery on the main street.  What a treat it was!  One of the things I've had trouble finding (even in Bangkok) is herb tea.  I like to drink tea in the evening but don't like the caffeine.  I was very excited to find some great selections.  They also had homemade fruit yogurt and a variety of other treats.  My enthusiasm waned a bit when I walked out with one bag of groceries for $24.  Mandalay prices have spoiled me forever.  It will be worth it, though, when I'm home, sipping tea.

The rest of my time was just spent meandering, dining and snoozing.  Vientiane was a nice place for a couple of night's stopover.

Hard to believe this is a main street in the country's capitol.

Oh, thank goodness - a pagoda (or wat or stupa, depending on which country you're in).

55,000 kip might seem steep for a lunch special until you realize that it's about $6.

Some day I'm going to be the first tuk tuk driver in Mandalay!

First Lao meal - laap, which is ground chicken with chiles, lemongrass, fresh basil and coriander and delicious.  Served with sticky rice (more common than steamed rice in Laos) in the cool, tightly woven container you see here, to keep it warm.

The main drag in Vientiane.

Luang Prabang - Lives Up to the Hype

I've been here less than 24 hours.  By the time I arrived yesterday, I wasn't feeling well so just did some walking around, had a fabulous meal and then relaxed in my cozy hotel room.  This morning, I'm feeling much better and will be heading out soon for breakfast and to explore.

A bamboo bridge crossing the Nam Kahn river, which is just behind my hotel.

View from behind my hotel, the Nam Kahn Riverside Hotel.

Why don't they have tuk tuks in Myanmar?  These were waiting for tourists along the river road.

This might not look very appealing but it was amazing - gnocchi with bleu cheese sauce. Not heart healthy but one of the best dishes I've had in a very long time.  I'll be indulging in a lot of French food in LP.

Country #70, Here I Come!

I set my alarm for 3:30 a.m. this morning, since my taxi to the KL airport was due at 3:30.  It didn't go off.  Luckily I woke up at 3:15.  I was showered, dressed and ready to go on time.

After about an hour in the taxi and 45 minutes in check-in/immigration/security, I've been relaxing in the Air Asia gate area.  I've also been thinking about my reactions to KL.

I've read reviews from other travelers of places I've been in KL.  I enjoyed the city, especially because it is very walkable, which is something Mandalay is missing.  What it lacked, though, even in the "historic" area where I stayed was a real sense of authenticity.

15 years ago my view would have been very different.  I, too, would have been oohing  and ahhing over every trinket and view.  But living in Samoa and Mandalay have spoiled me.  They both are off the well-beaten tourist path, where you can just get into people living their normal lives.  The stuff they sell at the market I go to in Mandalay isn't geared toward tourists.  It's the stuff that people need to live.  ..

Yes, there were some lovely crafts at the Central market, amid the piles of plastic replicas of the twin towers.  But unless my geography has failed me, Kashmir is not part of Malaysia, so those rugs are not authentic Malaysian crafts.  Beautiful, nonetheless.  And the curry laksa I had for lunch yesterday was pure Malaysian.

Luckily, after visiting Siem Reap a few months ago, my expectations were realistic.  I wanted good places to eat.  Interesting sightseeing and strolling around.  Nice people.  That's what I got.  Now, I'm looking forward to an uneventful flight to Vientiane and then on to Luang Prabang.

More Photos of Kuala Lumpur

Thanks for coming back for more photos.  Pinterest.com is probably more interesting, though.

Incense cones hanging in a Hindu temple near my hotel.

Typical kitchen at the restaurants that line every street.

Loved this idea for a recycled pot.

More beautiful offerings for sale.  I wish I could include the smells for you.  Walking down the street is a mix of smells of flowers, curries, barbeque and bus fumes.

A smaller, older temple.

Need a rolex?  Couture gown?  Starhill Gallery is the mall for you. 

In the restroom at one of the malls you need to remember to take toilet paper into the stall with you.  Inside is just the hose.  You have a choice of western or squatty potty.  I thought the thing on the right was a paper towel dispenser so was a bit surprised when I stuck my hand in hot air started blowing.

Every mall was decked out for Christmas.

Another lunch, another food court.  Tasty sweet and sour chicken and shrimp with curry gravy on the rice.

Food court stalls - just like America except not a burger in sight.  There was a pizza stall, though.

Malaysian fashion?  Seems the big hip look is in.

I loved the sign at this open air sheesha bar in Bukit Bintang:  "Hungry?  We have food.  Thirsty?  We have drinks.  Lonely?  We have WIFI."

Kasturi Walk, adjacent to Central Market.  More vendors selling tourist junk.

Entrance to Kasturi Walk.  There's even a Durian Cafe if you're craving all things durian. 

Food on sticks - in Asia they put anything on a stick and either fry it, barbecue it or stick it in a hotpot.  I'm a fan.

My two favorite fruits - mango and mangosteen, both out of season in Myanmar.

This rug was on display in the Central Market.  I have a very similar one that I bought in India.  They were asking $6,000.  Either rug prices have risen drastically or I got a real bargain.

I walked past the food court and opted for a sit down restaurant.  I knew it would be more but it was Christmas Eve.  The food at Ginger was just ok and I was annoyed at the bill.  When I sat down they brought "crackers" and a peanut dipping sauce.  Then charged me for it.  Sort of like going to a Mexican restaurant in the States and getting charged for the chips and salsa.

Did you figure out this is Central Market?  Supposed to be filled with hand-made traditional crafts.  Not so much, but still worth a look around.

It was a bit crowded on the streets of Bukit Bintang.

Had to laugh.  When I got my beverages for Christmas dinner the red wine was cold and the water warm.  Both hit the spot, though.

Dinner tasted better than it looks.  Plus I started with a salad that involved lots of iceberg lettuce!  Best steak to date in Asia.

Dessert was apple pie and a ginger cookie. I was too full for the pie but the cookie was delicious.

Back in Chinatown, they were transforming the sidewalks into restaurants - a nightly event.  The thing in the center of the table is a hot pot filled with very hot broth.  You buy whatever sticks of meat and vegetables you like from the vendor than find a table and start cooking.

These chiles are hot!

It's not hard to figure out what a restaurant is offering, even if you don't read Malaysian.

On the free GoKL bus.  A terrific idea - you hop on and get off where you like, for free.  I used them everyday.  Very easy since one of the four bus lines started outside my hotel.  Unfortunately, as I got on one after Christmas dinner a brief fight broke out between two groups of men (with me in the middle) on a VERY crowded bus.  No harm done, just a bit disconcerting.

Tomorrow I leave on a very early flight for Laos.  A couple of days in Vientiane then on to Luang Prabang for a week.  I'm loving this holiday break!

Photos from Kuala Lumpur

Enough words.  Here are photos of what I've been seeing in KL.  Nope, not a single picture of the twin towers.  They're tall and impressive but it was raining and the pictures didn't turn out well.

Lunch at the food court at Lot 10 in Bukit Bintang.  Korean bulgogi - barbequed beef.  Delicious and about $2.50.

View from my table at the Lot 10 food court.

Jalan Hang Kasturi - the street my hotel is on.  My hotel is the large building on the left.  Geo Hotel - nice room and excellent location.

Lots of fresh flowers.  This arrangement is about $15.

Artificial flowers and Christmas lights.

Tea samovars at an open air tea shop.

Another view of Lot 10 food court.  So many food choices it's hard to decide.  We have one tiny food court in Mandalay.  Here, they are everywhere.

I'm guessing the young lady with bare feet is a Kiwi.  Auckland is the only city I've been to where there were almost as many people without shoes as there were with.  The streets here, by the way, are not clean.

Chinatown - complete with an Amigo guest house and a 7/11, which are everywhere, worldwide.

I'd read a lot about Petaling street.  It is short, jammed with hawkers selling food and knock off watches, purses and dvds.  Many of the vendors are from Myanmar.  I see more Chinese people every day at my school than in KL's Chinatown.

MLB, this one's for you.  A knock-off Hard Rock shirt.  I also passed the huge Hard Rock Cafe.

I thought it was a pedestrian street.  Clearly not.

I took this about 11 a.m., before the crowds arrived.  If you were in Peace Corps Samoa the photo of the KK Mart sign will have special meaning.

I call these elephant pants, since most have elephants printed on them.  They also make women look like elephants - NOT flattering but worn by every backpacker in Asia.