Life-a learning experience: The quietest Capital city- Vientiane

Jon and I departed Cambodia and connected through Pakse, Laos before making our way to the capital Vientiane. We arrived to a tiny and sparse domestic terminal, offering little in the way of travel services or taxis for visitors. After some quick thinking, we made our way outside and across the road to the international terminal which was bound to have more resources for us. A helpful information desk attendant advised us to take a taxi into the center of town where we could easily walk around and find accommodation for our stay.
The center of Vientiane is filled with numerous guest houses and hotels. After looking at a few rooms we settled on The Phasouk Hotel nestled in an alley off the Main Street.

It only takes a few minutes of walking around to understand that Vientiane is an extremely quiet and mellow city, especially for being the Capital. Tourists and locals blend well together, often times frequenting the same restaurants and shops.

There are a number of sights to visit within close proximity to the city center including That Luang, Wat Ho Pkakeo, Wat Sisaket, Patuxay (Victory Gate) and That Dam. Regardless of what you choose to visit during the day, every evening ends by walking along the Mekong Promenade for sunset and then visiting the night market.

Having seen much of the city center on our first full day in Vientiane, Jon and I decided to rent motorbikes and explore some of the countryside the following day. Jon is a near expert at riding motorcycles and dirt bikes, me....not so much....I am a newbie. But we figured since man, woman and child seem to use motorbikes as their form of transportation, how hard would it be for me to get the hang of an automatic bike. Apparently very hard.

After walking around to find a rental shop offering both manual and automatic options, we handed over our passports and got the keys to two bikes. The owner gave us a quick operational briefing and then we strapped on our helmets and mounted our bikes. Jon took the lead and called out, "ok, you ready, lets go" and he took off down the street. And here's where the detail become less clear for me.

I accelerated my bike with the confidence of someone who has done this before, first mistake. When I really should have been taking it more cautiously until I got the hang of it, second mistake. I didn't seem to have the bike righted straight and I was headed for a parked SUV, third mistake. Just before I was about to crash into the car, I decided to drop the bike to try and minimize the damaged....the first thing I did right. When all was said and done, within one minute of having the bike and not being more than 300 feet from the rental shop, I successfully disrupted the quiet town of Vientiane with my accident.

After surveying the damage which turned out just to be a broken side mirror, I turned the bike back in and called it a wash with the owner for the repair fee since it matched my rental fee for the day. The key to falling down is always to get back up. So while I might not have gotten up and back onto my own bike, I was really good at hopping onto the back of Jon's bike. Thankfully I wasn't seriously injured and riding shotgun allowed me to sit back and enjoy the view as Jon navigated the back country roads.

We spent the afternoon driving through the countryside outside of Vientiane, taking the long and uncharted way to the friendship bridge between Cambodia and Thailand. As we made our way over the dirt roads, passing through rural villages, we were greeted with smiles and waves from the local people who seemed happy to see foreigners exploring their home.

After a long day of riding it was time to turn back and make our way into the city center to return the bike. Our timing just so happened to coincide with rush hour and we found ourselves surrounded by hundreds of cars, trucks, vans and motorbikes. Jon's driving skills were put to the test as he navigated us through the chaotic madness. At one point we neared a crowded stop light and Jon out smarted the locals by weaving his way in between the standing traffic to put us at the front of the group. When the traffic cop blew his whistle to signal the green light for our side to accelerate, Jon was the first one off the line. It's hard to describe the feeling of that moment with words, but as we pulled away from the group, we both let out a "whoop" and deep belly laugh...in those few seconds, we felt on top of the world.

With a successful visit to Vientiane under our belts, we prepared ourselves to head north for Vang Vieng the next day via bus.

Nadia and Jon in front of Patuxay (Victory Gate), the Arc de Triumph of Laos.