I put the pictures in backwards again. so the last picture is of the train station in Bangkok, then a local TUT TUT, then my hotel, the Saysoulee, then the beginning of a street party, and the first pic is of the internet store I am in.
In my last entry, I spoke of being glad I had an AC sleeper train trip for the night. WELL, sorta - I did have a sleeper train trip, just the AC didn't work!!!!
Man -- talk about being disappointed! But I was able to take solace from my fellow travelers who felt as I did. As it turned out, there were 4 tourist that I spoke with, and all of them were like me. They bought their ticket that morning! Unheard of during a Holiday season. We now believe that the coach we got was actually OFF LINE because of the AC, but due to demand that opened it up!!
About 2 in the morning the AC came on. It was not the pleasant trip I had hoped for - but as it turns out, coming here instead of my first choice worked out to benefit me very much!!
We arrived at the end of the track at the Laos border at 9:30, only and hour and half late - not bad. At the station, still in Thailand, when we got off a Thai rail official in uniform offered us tickets on a little 3 car train to the Laos immigration offices a few miles away. I bought it for 80 cents.
I noticed all the Laotians on the train did not get a ticket, and went and got on TUT TUTS and left.
When we went to Thai immigration then to check out of Thailand, the officer at the desk made me show him my train ticket on the little train before he would stamp my passport.
As it turns out - after about a 30 minute wait, the train takes us to a NEW Laos immigration point, and it is out in the middle of nowhere, 30 minutes from Vientiane!
And guess what - the only way to town is with the taxis waiting there. No TUT TUTS, no thing. there was no bank, restaurant - nothing. Just a place to rob tourist on the trip into town. On my last trip it had cost me a little over a dollar to ride a TutTut , this time it cost me $5.50.
But I learned . Next time I'm going with the locals, even if I have to buy a train ticket!
So, finally I got to Vientiane, and the driver took us to the "morning market." A center of market and transport activity in the city.
Now this is where I was brought to last time, and charged triple plus, to take me to my hotel. This time - I just walked. And it was very nice exercise at first - but man - then the heat caught me. My pack weighs 21 pounds and my day-bag about 4 pounds, so fortunately I did not have too much load. I shopped a few guesthouses along the way, and finally about 20 minutes later I found one that was really nice, without air, but had a fan.
It cost 90,000 kip ($10.71). The room was like rooms in Germany! It had a fancy lavatory, a large square shower head, an efficiency toilet, and in the room, another sink for the kitchenet. It had a refrigerator, microwave, and hot water cooker, plus a flat digital TV on the wall with cable TV. AND it had an AC, but I did not pay the extra 60,000 kip ($7.00) to use it. BUT there was no window.
I called my friend here, and set up a dinner engagement and then turned my clothes in to get washed, 2-1/2 pounds for $1.20. Took a good hot shower, then I crashed! After 5 days of travel, I was beat.
After dinner, I returned to the room, and it was hot-stuffy - humid! I went down to the office and got the AC turned on for $3.57! I decided it was well worth it.
Also after dinner I had a meeting with a new business associate and friend and got permission and directions to visit his production facility in a town way south of here. They make ceramic water filters.
So.... I am taking Saturday and Sunday OFF. and plan to enjoy Vientiane.
DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED if you want to adopt an AIR CONDITIONER for a room.
Use the PAYPAL option on the home page.
Doing find - enjoying the capital city of Laos on this HOT sunny April day!
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