SE Asia XXI - Vientaine

Vientaine is a little bit plain in comparison to Luang Prabang. It feels much more Thai and recent development has scarred the city. It is though still quiet and the people are friendly. Vientaine does not carry a great initial impact. However, I found after a couple of days it has a beguiling charm. Whether its sitting on the esplanade watching the sunset over Don Chan, (the sand island in the Mekong) whicle watching the locals play on the beach, or wandering around a spectacular temple.

The visit to Kaysone Phomvihane's house just north of Vientaine was a highlight of my stay in Vientaine. Kaysone was the leader of Lao People's Revolutionary Party from 1955, and then Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and then president until his death in November 1992. He lived in the old CIA headquarters from 1976 until his death. The house and his office next door are the picture of understatement. They have remained largely untouched since his death, a time capsule of a communist leader. His shoes are lined up neatly by the door. The whiteboard with his diary for the coming days remains untouched. His winter jacket and suits hang in the wardrobe. The buildings are just bungalows and the interiors do not appear to have been updated since the 1970s. When you walk through the house the only trappings of statehood are gifts from other communist states which appear out of keeping with the rest of the decor. The guides were hugely excited to see me arrive. They were immaculately turned out. They unlocked the buildings and gave me cotton socks to put over my shoes. They were desperately pleased that I signed the guestbook, which was placed on a podium. Both of the guides were thoroughly charming and hoped I would come back soon (they plan to open some more buildings in the compound). The house is a great tribute to Kaysone but it isn't that easy to find. There are no signs from the main road and on my first attempt to find it I cycled passed the entrance. There is a guardhouse with a boom gate where some very nice communist guards looked after my bike. Just around the corner from the house is the bombastic museum built in his honour. There could not be a greater juxtapostion of style. The museum is fronted by a huge staue of comrade Kaysone. The building is huge and they have only managed to fill most of the second floor. The ground floor is completely empty. The second floor isn't even full of Kaysone displays, one section is taken up purely by photographs from communist party meetings, a large amount of the content is borrowed from the revolutionary war section of the national museum. There are a great number of communist guards hanging around the building. I had one guarding my bike outside. The architects managed to work in one of those 'god' circles which magnifies sound when you stand in it. It is at the top of the stairs to the second floor and a large statue of Kaysone watches over it. I amused myself clapping my hands and stamping my feet, which didn't seem to surprise any of the guards watching on. I was of course the only visitor, much like the forgotten busts of Kaysone Phomvihane in every town in Laos, the capital city and country seems to have forgotten there is a huge museum (and a small house) waiting to be revered.

Vientaine is in many ways a nondescript sort of a place. Vientaine represents the rest of the country very accurately, it is relaxed, quiet and without crowds of people. While war did not touch it (it was considered neutral by both sides) modern development has. It looks like any other small town in Vietnam or Thailand. It could be Quy Nhon or Krabi. What sets Vientaine apart is just how quiet and relaxed it is. I've not come across a capital city like it, other than Canberra. Canberra isn't so much relaxed as lacking in people. Unlike Canberra it doesn't have the excuse of two much larger cities to draw attention. While Luang Prabang is the epicentre of tourism with the architecture and scenery, Vientaine is the political and business capital and is the largest city in Laos.

While Vientaine is quiet, tuk-tuk have still descnded upon it like nowhere else in Laos. When our bus arrived from Vang Vieng at Talat bus station they were lined up at the entrance watching the buses drive in. When they caught sight of western faces a stampede developed as they chased the bus. By the time the bus doors opened at least 30 tuk-tuk drivers were swarming the entrance shouting 'where you go, where you go'. The only thing that stopped this chorus was when I got off and whacked my head on the door frame, which was greeted by a group 'oh'. (I was surprised it wasn't greeted by a chorus of laughter, the typical response in South-East Asia). We walked the short distance into the centre of town. Tuk-tuk drivers are parked all over the city (and the city really isn't that big) and you are constantly asked 'where you go'. Alot of the tuk-tuk drivers speak English quite well and you wonder whether they could not put their skills to better use. It shows that either other opportuntiies do not exist or the money made being a tuk-tuk driver outweighes other occupations.

While Vientaine isn't eye catching there are some sights worth seeing. Wat Si Saket is the most beautiful temple I have seen in Laos. It rivals Wat Phra That Lampang Luang (near Lampang in Thailand). Wat Si Saket feels old and unique. A cloister surrounds the Sim with large buddhas lined up and tiny buddhas sitting in niches in the walls behind them. The Sim is even more beautiful with a large seated buddha surrounded by smaller buddhas and the walls are again filled with niches and tiny buddhas. There are about 7000 buddhas in total. Pha That Luang is a stunning sight from afar. It is a giant golden stupa and against a pefectly blue sky it really shines. Admittedly there isn't a great deal to see once you get up close. Xieng Khuan (known as Buddha Park) is another place well worth visiting. It is the eccentric fusion of Hindu and Buddhist religious thought in the form of sculpture. There is a giant pumpkin sculpture which you can climb inside, depicting hell, earth and heaven. If you climb up the inside you appear out of the mouith of a sculpture on the top of the pumpkin. The park is only 20kms from the city centre but most of the journey takes place on pot-holed dirt tracks filled with clouds of dust. It seems that the money for the Friendship Bridge (border crossing into Thailand) paid for the road up to that point and they haven't got around to finishing the rest. I've not come across a capital city where only 20kms from the centre you come across a well used road in this condition. Our bus was packed to the rafters. On board was a US-Lao citizen who had left the country in 1976 after the communists had taken power and has only been back in Laos for the passed two years. A sight you cannot miss is Patuxai the Laos equivalent of the Arch de Triumph built with concrete the Americans intended for a new runway at the airport. From afar it looks quite impressive, but the closer you get the uglier it appears. An apt label has been painted on its side, "From a closer distance, it appears even less impressive, like a monster of concrete".

The national museum in the centre of Vientaine is a clear example of changing times in Laos. The museum used to be called the Lao revolutionary museum. The exhibits dedicated to the revolution are dated and talk of the American imperialist and his puppets or stooges. There are weapons lying around, including rifles that brought down jet fighters. There are personal artefacts including Kaysone's 'chest expander'. The newer exhibits relate to historical discoveries and ancient cities. There is also an exhibit on Gerrit van Wrysthoff who visited Vientaine in 1641 as an envoy of the Dutch East India Company, the most modern exhibit paid for by the Dutch government.

The Dutch exhibit is another sign of changing times. If you are an NGO or a foreign government and you have the money in a poor country such as Laos you can pretty much do what you want. It is an issue covered by Brett Dakin in 'Another Quiet American' regarding his time working in the Laos National Tourist Authority. It is an interesting insight into life as an expat in Vientaine. Dakin directs strong criticism at what he sees as westerners who work for foreign governments and NGOs, travelling the globe from one undeveloped country to another being paid six figure salaries and not being of great use to the country they are supposedly helping. He argues that their salaries would be of much better use simply given as aid. Dakin also gives an insight into life for Lao under a one-party dictatorship. In the National Tourist Authority promotion and credit goes to those who are in favour with the communist regime rather those who do a good job.

Accommodation in Vientaine, much like Luang Prabang, is overpriced compared to the rest of the country. Also like Luang Prabang most of it seemed to be full. I stayed at Joe's Guesthouse on the riverfront for 50,000 Kip for a single room with shared bathroom. It was a very small room, but it was clean (so were the shared bathrooms) and the staff were friendly in an abrupt manner.

Vientaine's southern bus station is 8kms north of the city. It is apparently 60,000 Kip to hire a tuk-tuk to take you there. I booked a ticket, including a tuk-tuk to the station, with DD Travel (on a side street from Wat Mixay near the riverfront) to Thaket for 115,000 Kip (the bus journey alone should cost 65,000 Kip). I was picked up at 5.30am. In typical Laos fashion we were rushed onto a bus as it was pulling out of the station only for it to drive out of the bus station and pull up 5 minutes down the road where we waited half an hour while being assaulted by food and drink vendors.