Wednesday, October 14, 2009
4 Oct 2009
This Morning we moved to the new Hotel"D rose " a malaysian owned hotel and had buffet breakfast, It was good ,the Lao coffee is very similar to the malaysian "Kopi O" black coffee, after Breakfast we visited the very run down National museum.after the museum,we got ready to go see the "Bang fai payanak" the Serpent's fireballs, our mini bus came at 12 noon and the drive took us 1 and half hurs to get to the mekong river side,by the time we got there ..people were already setting up stalls to sell food. drinks and fireworks it has a carnival sort of atmosphere, but at last the night came and No fireball appeared from the river ,so this year all the people miss out on witnessing the Naga fireball phenomenen
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Vientien (Vieng Chan) 3 oct 09
We woke up early as usual and we walk to the Fountain( Nam Phou) and had Breakfast at a Scandenavian Restaurant it was great the bakery like Croissant were really fresh, Lim had a Breakfast Set called Omellet special and I had a egg and bacon burger for 4 of us it came to 380 baht..which is very very cheap by thai standard.After Breakfast we walked to the Morning market(Talat Sao) But it turn out thet its being renovated...to be a real morden shoping center...what a waste there goes the lovely morning market where all the forigner loves to wander around..in the old days, so we decided to hire a "Jumbo"a kind of tuk tuk but larger to take us on a half day tour of the city on Vientien, But I happen to see the 'That Luang" the golden Pagoda which is the Nationa Monument of Laos in the far end of town ..so supachai decide it was easy to walk there...but it turn out that it was on a small hill in the city so we decided to hire a "Jumbo' we were quoted 30,000 kip(local Lao curency) but the ladies managed to bargain a gfood price ..so off we went on the "Jumbo"
The First stop..'That Lung" the National monument of Laos, here is a Golden stupa..built By King Settathiratt when he moved his capital from Luang Prabang to Vientien. Here we saw Buses of tourist from thailand coming over to celebrate "Ork Pansa" The end of the Buddhist Lent
there will be a "Drangon Boat race on Monday" and there is a Fair along settatirat road. The Ladies had photo taken by the Photgraphers and then went to see the temple and we also made Merit as the Thai's called it.alater it was shopping time...silver braclets and bangles for 20 Baht a piece..
Next stop...Hor Par Keow...a temple Buitlt by the same King to be his own personal temple ans also to House the "Phra Keow" the Jade Buddha statue which the Siames took after the Laotian army revolted against the Thais..so Now the infamous 'Jade Buddha is now in the "wat Pra Keow" in the Grand Palce in Bangkok.
The First stop..'That Lung" the National monument of Laos, here is a Golden stupa..built By King Settathiratt when he moved his capital from Luang Prabang to Vientien. Here we saw Buses of tourist from thailand coming over to celebrate "Ork Pansa" The end of the Buddhist Lent
there will be a "Drangon Boat race on Monday" and there is a Fair along settatirat road. The Ladies had photo taken by the Photgraphers and then went to see the temple and we also made Merit as the Thai's called it.alater it was shopping time...silver braclets and bangles for 20 Baht a piece..
Next stop...Hor Par Keow...a temple Buitlt by the same King to be his own personal temple ans also to House the "Phra Keow" the Jade Buddha statue which the Siames took after the Laotian army revolted against the Thais..so Now the infamous 'Jade Buddha is now in the "wat Pra Keow" in the Grand Palce in Bangkok.
Bangkok to Vientien (2 Oct 09)
We woke up at 5 am this morning to get ourself ready to drive to Laos,By 6.30 am we got all the bags and stuff loaded into the boot of the car...We left at 715 am and headed nort east direction to the Border town of Nongkhai,2 hours later we had a rest stop at Saraburi,then Lunch stop at Meung Phon at a(thai style) steak house, food was suprisinly good but we didnt eat the steak we had a qyuick lunch of Bar b que Meat balls ,thai style salad ,Braised Pork.
After Lunch we continued driving the Norteast Dirsttion passing the town of Khon Kaen, the finally the border town of Nongkhai.at 3;30 pm.we drove strait across the Thai-Lao friendship bridge..not stopping to have our passport stamped in thai side as we thought we were not there yet till we arrived at the Lao side then we realised why all the people were standing and waiting in Line at the thai side(LOL) Big mistake as we had to drive back tot the thai side to get all the papaer work done then drove back across to the Lao side again,then the problem started it's so slow at the lao side ..we had to wait till they stamp the passport and the "Carnet"(Car passport) then at 6 pm we were allowed to drive into Vientien the capital of Laos..first thing we had to do was send "Nee" supachai House maid to the southern bus terminus for her to catch a overnight bus to her home town of Pakse.
It was dark by this time so we were unfimiliar with the roads and also we had to change to drive on the left side as it was a left hand drive country,Finally by 7 pm we foind it and booked her a ticket on a overnight bus but it turn out to be a luxury overnight bus it 's called a sleeping Bus with Beds only. cost 600 Baht but it looks very comfortable.after dropping Neee off we headed to find our Guesthouse in Rue Pangkham, so we saw a sign to "Morning Market on the way to the bus terminus, so we followed it toward the city of Vientien Finnal we found it but it turn out to be quite bad so we kook aroung for a better one till we stumbled upon a nice one in a small lane of Thanon Settattirat on the parralle street with the Mekong river, It was 1000 Baht per room but very clean .so it was an early Night as we had quite a long day.
After Lunch we continued driving the Norteast Dirsttion passing the town of Khon Kaen, the finally the border town of Nongkhai.at 3;30 pm.we drove strait across the Thai-Lao friendship bridge..not stopping to have our passport stamped in thai side as we thought we were not there yet till we arrived at the Lao side then we realised why all the people were standing and waiting in Line at the thai side(LOL) Big mistake as we had to drive back tot the thai side to get all the papaer work done then drove back across to the Lao side again,then the problem started it's so slow at the lao side ..we had to wait till they stamp the passport and the "Carnet"(Car passport) then at 6 pm we were allowed to drive into Vientien the capital of Laos..first thing we had to do was send "Nee" supachai House maid to the southern bus terminus for her to catch a overnight bus to her home town of Pakse.
It was dark by this time so we were unfimiliar with the roads and also we had to change to drive on the left side as it was a left hand drive country,Finally by 7 pm we foind it and booked her a ticket on a overnight bus but it turn out to be a luxury overnight bus it 's called a sleeping Bus with Beds only. cost 600 Baht but it looks very comfortable.after dropping Neee off we headed to find our Guesthouse in Rue Pangkham, so we saw a sign to "Morning Market on the way to the bus terminus, so we followed it toward the city of Vientien Finnal we found it but it turn out to be quite bad so we kook aroung for a better one till we stumbled upon a nice one in a small lane of Thanon Settattirat on the parralle street with the Mekong river, It was 1000 Baht per room but very clean .so it was an early Night as we had quite a long day.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Introduction to Laos
Laos was known in antiquity as "Lan Xang'(Million elephants),this sparsely populated country is finally enjoying peace afternearly 300n years of war with Annam,Myanmar,china,siam, france and the U.S.A. Lao is the least most developed of the 3 former french Indochina state.Lao is a land locked country with China to it"s North and Myanmar to it's northwest, Vietnam to it's east and finally Thailand to it's west.
Lao was ruled by a succession of Monarchs since 1353 till the late 19 century then it was ruled by the Thais, then reliquished the control to the french in 1907 ,In 1950 the Viet Minh suported Free Lao front and the Lao resistence government fought the french for 25 years.then from 1975 till present time it is rule by "The Lao People's Revolutioanry Party" and named Lao people's Democratic Republic or "Pathet Lao' in Lao Language.
Our Journey will start in Bangkok driving to the border town of Nong Khai in north eastern thailand, then we shall drive across the "friendship bridge"(Built by Australia) which link Thailand and Laos across the Mekong river.
Lao was ruled by a succession of Monarchs since 1353 till the late 19 century then it was ruled by the Thais, then reliquished the control to the french in 1907 ,In 1950 the Viet Minh suported Free Lao front and the Lao resistence government fought the french for 25 years.then from 1975 till present time it is rule by "The Lao People's Revolutioanry Party" and named Lao people's Democratic Republic or "Pathet Lao' in Lao Language.
Our Journey will start in Bangkok driving to the border town of Nong Khai in north eastern thailand, then we shall drive across the "friendship bridge"(Built by Australia) which link Thailand and Laos across the Mekong river.
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