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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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 Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:00 am Post subject: Laos is cool |
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OK, I've been here just over 24 hours, but so far I just love the place. It's like Thailand minus the crazyness and sleaze. It has so, so, so much that Korea just doesn't, from good wine to Kraft Dinner to authentic French food, it's here. This tiny leftover communist country of five million has more to offer than the whole 'metropolis' of bloody Seoul. It's just amazing what a bit of unrestricted foreign investment will do to a place.
And the weather is perfect this time of year. 25 degrees in the afternoon and 15 at night. And the Laotions are wearing jackets and toques! It's just bloody hilarious.
I really wish I had more than five days here. |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:01 am Post subject: |
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| Ohh where are you? I'm planning on going there in March! Can't wait! |
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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Yes Lao is great! I live near and have been 20 - 30 times....I enjoy bringing in my truck and doing some up-country 4xing...  |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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Laos is without doubt the friendliest, and most laid back place in all Asia.Probably the cheapest too.
But have they fixed the roads yet??
Best for me was Si Phan don. If theres a next time I'd like to see the "plain of jars'. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:18 am Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
| Ohh where are you? I'm planning on going there in March! Can't wait! |
I'm staying at Drumpounder's house in Vientiane surrounded by his posse of little brown girls. He had his woman drop me off at Pha That Luang this morning after she made us breakfast.
There are plenty of guesthouses and hotels ranging from dives to luxury and everywhere you go you can use Kip (local currency), Baht, or US Dollars. Just go to the taxi registry at the airport, ask to be dropped off around That Dam, and just start looking for a hotel that suites your tastes.
Apparently it's a lot hotter in March. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:23 am Post subject: |
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| nautilus wrote: |
Laos is without doubt the friendliest, and most laid back place in all Asia.Probably the cheapest too.
But have they fixed the roads yet??
Best for me was Si Phan don. If theres a next time I'd like to see the "plain of jars'. |
The roads around Vientiane are mostly metalled, but I sure went over some rough stuff today in a tuk-tuk. I can't imagine what it's like in the rainy season.
And yeah, the people are wonderful and the women look so georgeous in their half-sarongs. The food's superb and so cheap even at tourist prices. |
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VirginIslander
Joined: 24 May 2006
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:25 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, my best University friend is Hmong. Great people.
Enjoy your trip |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Just go to the taxi registry at the airport, ask to be dropped off around That Dam, and just start looking for a hotel that suites your tastes. |
I'm getting in at 8pm, think I might give that idea a pass. But I'm glad to hear that you are having a good time. |
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tiger fancini
Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Location: Testicles for Eyes
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| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:18 am Post subject: |
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| This is all good news. I'm planning on making my debut trip to Laos in May or June, so keep us updated on your adventures! |
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dulouz
Joined: 04 Feb 2003
Location: Uranus
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| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:58 am Post subject: |
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| YBS, I'm gonna dump on your parade a smidge. I was subject to "manly displays" that soiled my time there. I was working with some bamboo and a local young adult came over and sat on my tools, turned his back to me and when I asked him to leave, he ignored me. Some local high school kids rode their scooter into mine while it was parked at the gas station and knocked it over and then laughed at me and drove away. I was getting my backpack repaired and the man did a really crappy job of it and charged me $3. While I was getting the pack fixed, a local hot shot came over, got special treatment for his escort that popped a strap on her high heel shoe and then stood in front of my camera while I was viewing the sunset. What a *ick. The taxi fares are outrageous. $2 for going 6 blocks in a tuk tuk. In Seoul I get new car with air con for $2 for a much greater distance. I'm not overly impressed with Hmong. I'll go back to Laos but I'll rememebr I'm not welcome off the tourist trail. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:52 am Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Just go to the taxi registry at the airport, ask to be dropped off around That Dam, and just start looking for a hotel that suites your tastes. |
I'm getting in at 8pm, think I might give that idea a pass. But I'm glad to hear that you are having a good time. |
You'd be perfectly safe. Once you get to the city centre in the evening it's almost nothing but tourists everywhere. If you book ahead just make sure you don't get one of the hotels away from the city centre or you'll just be wasting time going to and fro. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:59 am Post subject: |
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| dulouz wrote: |
| YBS, I'm gonna dump on your parade a smidge. I was subject to "manly displays" that soiled my time there. I was working with some bamboo and a local young adult came over and sat on my tools, turned his back to me and when I asked him to leave, he ignored me. Some local high school kids rode their scooter into mine while it was parked at the gas station and knocked it over and then laughed at me and drove away. I was getting my backpack repaired and the man did a really crappy job of it and charged me $3. While I was getting the pack fixed, a local hot shot came over, got special treatment for his escort that popped a strap on her high heel shoe and then stood in front of my camera while I was viewing the sunset. What a *ick. The taxi fares are outrageous. $2 for going 6 blocks in a tuk tuk. In Seoul I get new car with air con for $2 for a much greater distance. I'm not overly impressed with Hmong. I'll go back to Laos but I'll rememebr I'm not welcome off the tourist trail. |
Interesting - I guess there are idiots everywhere, but so far (three days in) I've been very impressed. The driving is appalling and I've already seen a guy wipe out his bike from hitting a dog, but apart from that I can't complain. The only idiot I've encountered was an arogant Frog with a Thai (probably rent-a-) girlfriend at a bar. He spoke perfect English but I kept pretending I couldn't understand him, speaking to him in (horrifically butchered, drunken) French, lol. I took a tuk-tuk about 5km after getting lost, gave him wrong directions, had to re-route him, and it was still only $2.
It probably helps that I'm with the locals and a Canadian Lao resident, but as my friend pointed out, Laos is a first-rate, third-world country whereas Korea is a third-rate, first-world country. That about sums it up. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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Yesterday we went to a Korean restaurant - well, at least what Lao consider to be Korean food. And as one might imagine, Lao Korean food turned out to be a lot better than Korean Korean food often is. Three of us ate ourselves stuffed and drank have a crate of beer and the total bill came out to $11. I've paid so little to eat so well anywhere in the world. Laos makes Thailand look expensive, which makes Korea look expensive, which makes Canada look expensive, if that helps put things in perspective.
The previous evening Drumpounder met up with me after work at one of the most expensive bar / restaurants in town where I was eating and drinking with a (much less arrogant) couple of Frogs. Again, we stuffed ourselves and drank like fish. Finally when the place is closing the bill comes, and the Frenchman, who's pretty tipsy, pulls out $60USD. We check and it's like dude, that's almost twice the bill.
I had budgeted about $400 for Laos and so far, not including a watch I purchased, I've spent about $50 and have been living it up. This is definitely on my list of countries to come back to. |
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Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
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| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
I had budgeted about $400 for Laos and so far, not including a watch I purchased, I've spent about $50 and have been living it up. This is definitely on my list of countries to come back to. |
the remarkable thing about laos is the lack of stress, tension of any sort. Way too easygoing I thought.
talking of expenses I got a room there for 70cents a night, in one of those houses on stilts. That made even Cambodian prices seem exorbitant.
never went to vientiane, but stayed in the southern half, from Savannkhet on down.
Ah- beware the Lao-lao: someone drank too much of it and actually died when I was there. Definitely...go easy on it.. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:15 am Post subject: |
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This thread is making it sound better than ever. I had a couple of chances before but just did not go. I like the "laid back not in your face trying to make a buck all the time" attitude that seems to be the norm there.
What's the best way to go there? From Thailand? |
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