Towards Vientiane: Biking along the Mekong – March 2006

Towards Vientiane: Biking along the Mekong

Since last time we wrote, there was a slight change in plans. We had
a bit of a problem with our new credit card, which extended our stay
in Bangkok even longer. Because of this, our Thai visa was close to
expiring, so instead of following the Mekong north to Vientiane on
the Thai side of the border, we followed it on the Laotian side.

It was good to be back on the bikes once again. We had gone 4 1/2 months without cycling! Our first hurdle back on the bikes was to
cross Bangkok, a city of 14 million, by night in rush hour traffic.
Even at 9:30 PM there is standstill traffic 25 km. from the city
center! We put our bikes onto the top of a bus, and arrived at the
Thai-Lao border 14 hours later, where we loaded our bikes and our
bags onto a tiny longtail to cross the Mekong to Laos. The road in
Laos more or less followed the river and was just hilly enough to
make it interesting. As per the terrain, there are extensive karst
limestone formations in the area and the mountains are moderately
high and slope southwest to meet the Mekong Valley.

And good news! We rode faster than we ever had before, and even beat
our distance record – riding against the wind – after having not
touched the bikes for over four months! We had thought it would be
the opposite, but the difference was that, having spent the winter
months in Philadelphia, we were able to leave a lot of our heavier
winter clothing and gear behind at our guesthouse in Bangkok. The
few extra pounds that we were able to shed made all the difference in
the world!

The several hundred kilometers that we biked to Vientiane were very
sparsely populated (Laos is the least populated country in Southeast
Asia). The rare villages that we passed were miniscule. A lot of
the country is still wild and unexplored. Some of the areas seem to
stretch on green into infinity, with rushes that rise 15-22 ft. in
height. Other areas have signs that proclaim: “Forest
Regeneration” and “Protected Area” in front of scorched fields and
ugly black tree stumps that are evidence of the country’s practice
of slash-and-burn agriculture. A lot of the innumerable rivers and
streams that we had passed last October in the rainy season had
disappeared for the dry season.

It’s a real pleasure to be back in Southeast Asia. The people are
very friendly and laidback, and there are no hassles or
difficulties. Even for solo women travelers, it is a very safe and
comfortable region to visit. And I can’t help but remarking how
very tall I feel over here. I’m used to being the shortest of the
bunch at home, but here in Laos, I’m often a head taller than the
women, and even taller than at least half of the men!

Vientiane: The Capital

When we reached Vientiane, we were deliriously happy to find dozens
of French restaurants and bakeries, after having been constrained to
eating only noodle soup and papaya salad for every meal for one
week. One week really isn’t that long, and the soup and salad
really are delicious, but you get tired of the same thing when it’s
all you have to eat for every single meal. The miniature villages
that we passed didn’t offer anything else, aside from the two times
that we saw grilled rats and other creatures that we couldn’t
identify.

Our principal activity in Vientiane, in fact, was eating out. We
stayed in the city for one week, waiting for our Chinese visa, and
during that time, we really splurged on the food. We had yogurt,
mangoes, and chocolate croissants for breakfast, French food for
lunch, and either Indian food or Lao food at a candlelit table by the
Mekong for dinner. We really spoiled ourselves, but it was the first
time we had really done so since we started traveling, and we didn’t
feel so bad because we had earned some cash while we were home. And
you couldn’t beat the deal: for only $5 we could get an appetizer,
entree, and dessert at the French restaurant!!! Well, anyway,
enough about the food. It’s lunch hour right now, and it’s
starting to really preoccupy me!

With only 135,000 inhabitants, Vientiane really reminds one more of a
sleepy, laidback beach town than a capital city. With temperatures
regularly above 100 F and palms lining the roads and river bank, the
impression is only confirmed. Some of the red dirt roads even turn
into sandy paths. The jingle-jingle of the ambulant fruit sellers
reminds me of the jingle of the ice cream truck at the Shore.
Although the city is large enough to have a few traffic lights, large
areas of the city remain green. Traditional wooden houses sit
underneath palms and there are no tall buildings, aside from the new
hotel that was just completed. The same goes for shopping. There
are plenty of small shops, but no shopping centers or malls. There
is, of course, the Morning Market, the largest in Laos. The city has
its share of Buddhist temples, where we saw several different
ceremonies being performed as the devoted gathered to be blessed by
the monks and have their wishes granted by Buddha. Red Communist
flags fly beside Laotian flags in front of government buildings and
schools, among others. Grand villas and mansions of the ambassadors,
diplomats, and expatriates complete the ensemble.

At no time of the day is the city ever in a bustle or in a hurry.
There is very little traffic for a capital city, or for any city, for
that matter. This especially is true after 10 PM, when the streets
become even quieter, and after midnight, when they become eerily
deserted, aside from the officers in green uniform who sit in plastic
chairs on street corners with their large guns across their laps. An
unofficial 12 AM curfew is in effect, and officers may escort you
home if you’re not already there. In any case, all of the
restaurants and bars are already closed, and there is no active night
life.