Sabaidee! That is Laotian for "Hello." I am writing to you from the business center of the amazing, beautiful, and elegantly luxurious hotel we are staying in in Vientiane, Laos, the capital. In the language here, the country Laos means the Land of A Million Elephants, so I figured this would be the most appropriate title for this post! Although I have yet to see an actual elephant here other than the elephants decorating the artwork and tapestries abundant in this country, the word is that they can be found in the countryside and remain a sacred animal to many here.
We arrived in Vientiane after an intense 2 day in a row overnight train experience to and from Sapa. We arrived from Sapa to Hanoi at 4 AM two days ago and then went directly to the airport for our flight here. We arrived to this amazing hotel exhausted and dirty from trekking and not showering in two days. As soon as we got to the hotel, however, we were greeted so warmly by the staff here dressed in the traditional Laos dress and holding their hands in the prayer position, which is considered a polite gesture upon seeing someone for the first time. Their beautiful dress, which is similar to the many tapestries and silks my dad has brought back from India during his travels, is so distinct from Vietnamese fabrics - it is amazing that these countries are so close together yet so different. In addition to the obvious differences in attire of the people here, their skin is much darker than Vietnamese and their eyes lighter shades of brown. In fact, the Laotian people look much more Thai and even Indian than Vietnamese people do. My parents laugh when I continue making these comparisons to Vietnam, but after all, this has been my only point of reference for the last 4 months. When exchanging money, I unintentionally converted the currency into VN Dong rather than US Dollars to understand the exchange rate. Another example of a time when my parents got a kick out of the influence Vietnam has had on my thinking and behavior!
Upon entering the lobby of this hotel, which was decorated just beautifully with bright white cushions on the couches, which contrasted the dark wood used on the floors and other furniture, we were ushered into a seating area to enjoy freshly squeezed orange juice with orchids decorating the glasses. What luxury!! It was delicious. We settled into our rooms and took a shower. When I say take a shower, I mean take the best shower I have possibly ever experienced!!! Okay, maybe my perspective is a LITTLE off considering where I have lived this semester, but in any event, this shower was amazing. There was even a private garden for each shower inside a three walled structure, made visible from inside the shower through a huge glass window.
After showering, we headed into town with our guide for a short tour of the city and a glimpse at several structures we looked at in more depth today, such as the city's arc de triumph and many, many ancient Buddhist temples. We had lunch at an amazing restaurant, which like a few restaurants in Vietnam I love, is an NGO to train street children on food preparation and the restaurant business. We had delicious tofu curry, fresh mushroom spring rolls, sticky rice, Lao beer, and all sorts of eggplant, tomato, and mushroom dips. There is definitely a strong Thai and Indian influence on the food, but at the same time, so many similarities to Vietnamese food and culture - such as the rice, fruits, street vendor foods, and cultural mannerisms.
One huge difference: IT IS QUIET HERE!!! I never thought I would appreciate quiet so much. I used to think people were crazy for going on a vacation to a cabin in the mountains in the middle of nowhere where there are no other people, only quiet nature. Now I think that vacation idea is absolutely brilliant. Quiet is a wonderful thing! After being in Hanoi and HCMC for so long, I really have adapted to the constant and almost malicious sounds of the streets - the honking, chatter, oral advertisements etc. It wasn't until I was removed from it, however, that I realized how much the noise can affect you! There are so many less people on the streets here, so many less motorbikes, so many less cars. It is wonderful. For the first time since before Vietnam, I have "checked out." Even though I was on vacation in Vietnam once my parents got there, I was always on-call, helping with communication and making sure the trip went well. Now I can really relax...and I am!
Today we visited beautiful Buddhist temples (one of which had over 10,000 tiny Buddha statues nestled intricately into little lotus-shaped alcoves on all inside walls of the structure - incredible), stupas, and we climbed the arc de triumph, which is modeled after the one in France and overlooks the entire city. We were told by a Canadian woman we met in Sapa that Laos is a sleepy place compared to Vietnam. It is! This sleepiness was so visible as we stood at the top of this massive structure overlooking the city where the tallest building is only 13 stories tall. The pace of life here is literally a slow-motion version of Hanoi or HCMC that is so evident to me that I feel like I can touch it. It also has a much more European feel than Vietnam, even though it is much less developed. There is a central plaza and many more European cafes and coffee shops (the coffee here has such a unique flavor...just when I thought Vietnamese coffee was a one of a kind flavor!). It is cleaner and generally more tolerable and enjoyable.
Tonight we leave for Luang Prabang where we will stay for 3 nights and then head back to Vietnam for a final 4 day stay at a beach resort in Danang. I can't believe that in a week from now I will be leaving Asia! Time has flown by. I can't wait to be home!!!
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