This latest trip was long due. Well, by my standards. Its been more than five months since I went anywhere and the travel bug had started biting badly. So here I am in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, which most people mistake for Lagos in Nigeria.
A sleepy town, its hard to believe that its a capital. I landed today morning after a hop, skip and jump from Bangalore to Cochin by train, Cochin to Kuala Lumpur by Air Asia flight and then another Air Asia flight to Vientiane. One and a half days of travelling. But this place looks like it has been worth it. A land lost in time. People still not forgotten to smile. People respecting tourists and not harassing them. Such a different world.
I set out in the misty drizzle that had been steadily wetting the roads since the time I landed. After walking around a bit I had roasted banana off a street food stall and it was simply delicious. I know it might sound very simplistic and something that can be made easily at home. But this ambience can not be replicated anywhere – rain, smiles, newness and exploration.
Lunch was vermicelli noodles with vegetables in piping hot water and flavored with garlic, lime and tangy chillies. Washed down with strong, iced coffee. Just heaven. I continued walking but the rain still had not let up. So decided to sit in an internet cafe for sometime and send a couple of emails and update the blog when I can. The pictures of course will follow later in the form of a photoblog like Vietnam. I think that is fun, just posting pictures with captions. Gives a more vivid description of the place than words.
It is still drizzling and I have not seen or clicked anything today. And I don’t what tomorrow brings either. But I can be assured that tomorrow will still greet me with smiles from the wonderful people here.
More from Vientiane whenever possible…
