For the large part it was on foot today. My bizarre list of travel experiences only got even more bizarre today. When I went downstairs for breakfast the manager accused me of taking a piss in my room. Originally I paid for two nights but they told me to leave this morning and tried to charge me a 250,000 kip "cleaning fee" (about $30). Last night I stayed up with a Canadian named Doug, and the manager said he was checking out because of me. I later spoke to Doug and he denied that, stating he had a flight to Hanoi is this morning. After a light breakfast of french toast I just walked off. Later I realized I forgot my camera battery charger so I checked into another hostel and then went back to grab it. Fortunately I realized before check-out time, and then the manager asked when I was paying the "cleaning fee." I told her I was going to the ATM and I just skidaddled. As I was asleep last night I awoke when several people came into the room but the manager was adamant that it was me who pissed in the room. Neither staff member showed me where I allegedly pissed but I'm guessing that, if it did happen it was one of the guys that came into the room during the night. Still I was able to leave without them noticing but I'm not going to complain about having paid for the second night and not being able to stay.
With a black coffee in hand I did my own grand tour of the sights of Vientiane, which to me feels more like a large provincial town than a capital city. Bangkok and Singapore are far more frenetic. Due to the French influence you can find some excellent coffee around. My first stop was Patuxai Monument. Dedicated to those who fought for Laos' independence from France, it's a beautiful monument.
When I reached the top of the arch I was horrified to see somebody had scribbled their Instagram name on the wall. One thing that really, really upsets me is when people have to write on stuff stating they were there on a specific date. From Griffith Observatory to the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon, I've seen graffiti by tourists in many places. Why couldn't that guy have just taken a photo and posted it on Instagram? I sent the guy a message telling him off, as did several of my friends after posting his name on Facebook. On the upper floor there's a fantastic view of the city.
Geocaches aren't nearly as common in Laos as in Thailand but I signed off my third find in Southeast Asia's only landlocked country. On another upper floor I purchased a 20 att coin. One Lao kip is equal to 100 att. Currencies in Southeast Asia tend to be so weak that no coins are used. Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam all don't use coins in daily transactions. After many photos at Patuxai I was starving so I opted for Japanese ramen, and then it was time for a haircut. There aren't many places where you can get a haircut for $5, a massage for $10, great food for less than $10, and a dental cleaning and two fillings for $80, so I might as well take advantage whilst I can.
My next stop was Pha That Luang, the national symbol of Laos. This golden stupa glistens with a spectacular glow on a sunny day! What a beautiful stupa.
Constructed in 1566 on the order of King Setthathirat, the stupa rises to 45 metres with the pinnacle being covered in gold leaf. Ambling round for more than an hour I opted for photography from a different vantage point:
These are holes in the shape of a four-leaf clover in the walls surrounding the stupa. Whilst I took a tuk-tuk to Pha That Luang I took the bus back to town. The traditional Laotian massage was so great yesterday I opted for another one today. As in yesterday I was bent all over the place and felt like gel afterward. Note that if you're thinking of coming to Laos for a "happy ending" or to hook up with girls that sexual relations between Laotians and foreigners are illegal unless you're married to them. The law is strictly enforced and it's not unheard of for foreigners to be deported or sentenced to jail time due to violating the law. Part of the reason I didn't raise a huge stink this morning at the hostel is because Laos is still technically a police state and I wouldn't want to experience the country's penitentiary system. It pays to be careful anywhere, but if you solicited a prostitute or tagged a monument in North Korea you wouldn't get out alive.
After a long day I wasn't done yet. I called in at Hophakaew Musuem, which used to function as a Buddhist temple. The museum was interesting but a couple getting married in really colourful garb stole the show.
What a full on day it was; my feet are sore after today. I couldn't help but indulge in another sunset over the Mekong with a few glasses of wine during happy hour.
It's too bad this journey is too short, as I only have time for a few days in Vientiane on this trip. On a future trip I'd love to go to Luang Prabang or Vang Vieng, but you can't go wrong with a nice walk around the Laotian capital, even if you take the odd tuk-tuk or bus along the way.
