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Arrived in Veng Vieng yesterday. This place is either paradise lost or lost in paradise. The bus journey from Vientiane was standard. By standard I mean, many European backpackers crammed into overly hot bus, with curtains closed, to my disappointment. One of the truly great things about travelling isn't the destinations you're in but the getting to the destination, the road or rail travel, where you get to see the land and the families untouched by the filthy hand of tourism. The corrugated iron and bamboo shacks where locals sell Oreo biscuits and coca cola. The motorcycles trundling along, kids playing in the white washed school buildings in worn out shorts, t shirts and sandals, using nothing but a stick or their imagination to entertain themselves. The rolling hills and rivers, fisherman, farmers, truck drivers, rice paddies, palm trees, blue skies and a powerful, hot glistening sun...these are the true delights of travelling in this glorious part of the world.
We finally arrived after 4 hours of pot hole filled road (so much so another traveller I met - Chris - had to sit on the steps due to a dodgy stomach). We were offered a free bus ride into town, which you quickly figure out is owned by a hotel which conveniently drops you off right outside it. However one of the biggest shocks here is the lack of pressure and hassle from shop owners and tour guides trying to force their "good deal" down your throat.
We checked into a really run down little hostel, which I recommended because it had the "Hostelling International" logo outside. Something they probably printed off the Internet in order to suck in the poor, unsuspecting tourist ahem.
The Hostel
Shoes off at the door as with everywhere here, you're greeted to a tiny lobby with a stone, garden bench to sit on. The women at the front spoke little English and directed us to our "room". An 8 bed, s*** heap, where the beds are ready to crumble with rust and drive their sharp, rusty nails from the planks above into your sleeping frame. However...I couldn't be happier, this is kind of feel I am looking for, something where I can pay £2 a night, with a cold shower, one toilet between 30 people and electricity and wi fi sporadic. This is the kind of place I could live for the rest of my life, so far from reality and the pig state of life back in the west that it's much more comfortable and makes so much more sense. You can live here like a king for £40 or less a day, with beautiful weather, women, cold beer and nothing but sandals.
The shower is cold water pipe, with no holder, door and is next to the toilet, which is in pieces. The toiletry holder above the sink is hanging off and the family (all women and baby it seems) live in the 3 rooms next to mine.
Veng Vieng
Me and Chris had a walk around the town in the sweltering heat. To all the people who questioned the timing of my visit to SE Asia...how wrong you are. I've barely seen better weather, however storms are apparently frequent and can happen any time, so I may eat my words...watch this space. The town is very sleepy, I figured most people are just relaxing on pillows in bars, with some sort of herb and a cold beer. The only noise you can hear are the many forms of motorbikes, buggies and endless amounts of friends episodes, emanating out from every other bar. There are 4 kind of shops here.
1. Bar/restaurant/guesthouse: all of which contain areas for you just to lounge, with nothing but pillows and a small table (something I will be doing when I get back to shanghai). Serving good hot and cold food and prices you can't even imagine eg salads, pizza, sandwiches, fruit shakes all under £3, and when you have big bottles of beerlao going down at 80p a bottle (5% aswell) you do ask the question....why would I ever go home?
2. Tour guide shop
3. Massage parlour
4. Souvenir shop, selling the usual, sunglasses, vests, flip flops and bathing suits.
Me and chris ended up finding a bar with the best view, lying down on pillows, soaking in the view and sun, playing some of my favourite chillstep music and napping in the sleepy, relaxed atmosphere that this town and this country creates so incredibly.
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