Vientiane is a very boring city. After visiting the Cope Centre I ambled around town. Once I was thoroughly bored I went to the dentist and had a filling done and my teeth cleaned.
The Cope Visitor Centre displays the damage done to Laos and its citisens after the American War. The Americans apparently dropped 2 million tons of bombs over a 9 year period. Their aim was to trying and interrupt the supply route used by the Viet Cong.
I returned to Vientiane to collect my passport from the Myanmar Embassy and then take it over to the Chinese Embassy with all the documents required for a Chinese visa. Alas, I didn't know the Chinese Embassy only opens in the morning. This means that I'd have to come in on the following Monday.
I wasn't pleased with the prospect of having to wait in Vientiane over the weekend just to put in my visa application. As Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan was in Vientiane over the weekend I was hoping he would hold some prospect of entertainment. It turned out he wouldn't
After my careful planning, script writing and location scouting the previous day I set out to make the blockbuster documentary - Dex Leavers 2012 Video.
As I spent most of the day filming and editing the video I didn't do any activities. I will be back!
I had been contacted by the Shimane AJET in Japan and asked if I could contribute to a video they are going to show the 2012 Leavers. The outline was advice for once leaving Japan. As I'd been on the go for a few days and had admin in Vientiane I hadn't put any thought into what I would produce. While waiting for my Myanmar visa I headed northe to Vang Vieng where I came up with my concept.
I also met a wonderful Japanese couple who had settled in Laos for the past 3 years. They opened a hamburger shop in Vang Vieng which seems to be doing very well.
Today was an administration day. I went to the Chinese Embassy just to be informed it would be a ball-ache to apply for a visa. So instead I went to the Myanmar Embassy and applied for a visa there. It would take 4 days to issue so in the mean time I would do the work required for the Chinese visa.
I haven't had to work and think so hard in a long time. By the time I made all my bookings, reservations and printing I was pooped. I also had this uneasy feeling of being hemmed in. To get into both Myanmar and China I had to book flights. Having a flight to catch deadline goes against my free will, overland only, time unlimited style of travel. I hope this weary feeling doesn't get worse.
Not far outside of Vientiane is a place called Buddha Park. I guess this is Laos answer to Sala Keow Ku, where I visited last year October in Nong Khai. Sala Keow Ku is very impressive. Sad to say that the Laos equivalent isn't as grand, but still worth the visit.
I arrived in Vientiane on the night bus from Udomxai city (pronounced Udomsai). I had been warned about long distance travel in Laos. It is as tedious as other travellers have made out. Laos is an extremely hilly and mountainous country with narrow roads running along side the hills. Unlike Japan and other countries, there are no 'short-cut' tunnels through the mountains.
After checking in I went for a wonder around the city. It didn't take long!
Leaving Vietnam was a lot harder than getting in. It took two days of solid travel to get from Sapa into Laos. And then I did another days and night of travel on top of that.
Here are some posters one can see all over Vietnam. Obviously there are some good ones I didn't get a picture of.
For the second time on this trip I rented a scooter. I'm glad I did because I covered much more ground than I would have on foot. The surrounding area is blissfully beautiful.
It felt good to be in the mountains again. The cool air and beautiful views around Sapa are invigorating. I can understand why the French chose this place as a hill station in the colonial era. I got to explore the town which is mostly inhabited by the H'mong minority people.
We were luck enough to have a few Vietnamese tourist on board with us, a small family group with members visiting from the USA. They requested that the boat take us to another part of the bay instead of going directly back to part on the mainland.
Once we got back to Hanoi I caught a night train to Sapa, a town in the northern mountains.
