Vientiane, Laos
Thailand is lacking when it comes to baked goods. Very seriously lacking.
Best part about visa runs to Laos? Croissants.
And Beer Lao…
Entries Tagged as 'Laos'
>> Say What?? Funny English Signs in Asia >>
11Mar
Traveling around countries where English is not spoken, you often see various signs, information pamphlets and menus employing some interesting uses of the English language. Sometimes silly, sometimes poetic, sometimes confusing and sometimes downright nonsense – funny English signs in Asia rarely fail to amuse.
My favorite menu item that I’ve seen so far was for ‘beaked beams’ as part of an English Breakfast in Pai, Thailand. I don’t know why I didn’t get picture of it, but it’s been stuck in my head ever since and now pay better attention when something catches my eye.
Here’s a sampler of sorts of the signs I’ve caught throughout Southeast Asia and India.
I mean…just…really??
At a walk up, fast food burger joint throughout Chiang Mai. They can’t be serious…right?
Gas masks and a cleaner Penang…
They’re going for a cleaner, greener Penang in Malaysia…but don’t forget your gas mask.
Clearly I wasn’t staying in the best of accommodation…
Um, well, this room was in Vang Vieng, Laos so…yeah.
Mmm…k…if you say so
Taken somewhere in the middle of India. I’m not sure if…well, I just not sure about this one.
This just made me smile
Apparently. Winnie the Pooh made this sign for ‘Hunny’.
Don’t worry, you’ll be fine
Seen during the Thai Loy Krathong festival, I don’t know if this sign speaks more to Thais not wanting to cause confrontation, or the fact that you can often find a way to get out of trouble here. ‘Please don’t do this – but if you do, don’t worry, you’ll be alright.’
I’m not quite sure what this means…but I think I like it
And last but not least – one of my favorites found in the Nimmanhaemin area of Chiang Mai where a new wine bar seems to be popping up every day. The thing that made the sign even better is that the place is called ‘I’m Chair Bistro and Wine Bar’. I’m. Chair.
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>> Moment: at a Laotian Waterfall >>
25Feb
The Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos is known for jungles, coffee and waterfalls. Like this one.
Usually I don’t go on group tours, you never know what it’s going to be like or who will be in your group – but while staying on the plateau I signed myself up for a day trip as I was traveling alone and didn’t have personal transportation. I also am usually wary of random waterfalls or scenic stops on these types of package deals – sometimes they’re great and other times they’re…well, you don’t really understand what you’re stopping for.
This one about an hour outside of Pakse however did not disappoint. The overall cooler climate of the plateau was also a welcome relief from the hot stickiness of everywhere else during the rainy season.
Been to the Bolaven Plateau? What was your favorite part?
>> Moment at: the Golden Triangle >>
18Feb
When I first went to the Golden Triangle, an area infamous for its past (and possibly present…?) opium production, I didn’t expect much. Maybe that’s why I found visiting the area where Thailand, Laos and Burma meet surprisingly interesting – and there was an actual triangle.
The photo is taken from the Thai side looking at Burma to the left and Laos to the right, with China just a little further up the river. Coming from an area where I could drive six hours and still be within the same state, it’s always strange for me to see so many places intersect at one point…
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>> Moment in: Vang Vieng >>
28Jan
Situated two hours north of Vientiane in Laos, Vang Vieng is (in)famous for drunken wasted incoherent backpackers, tubing the river between countless bars, mud volleyball, rope swings and water slides, then wasting away resting in restaurants that all serve the same thing and that all have Friends and Family Guy episodes on 24/7 repeat. (Actually, this stop on the backpacker trail may be no longer…or at least very, very different.)
When backpacking solo around SE Asia I almost didn’t go to Vang Vieng. It sounded like it could be fun…but more likely that it would just be one big hot mess and I would be irritated being by myself and surrounded by drunken groups of gap year students. I’d heard that it was tourism gone way, way wrong. The town was ruined. I went anyway telling myself I could check it off the list and leave the next day if I wanted to.
And while I feel kind of funny admitting it…I enjoyed myself more there than any other place in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Yes, all the rumors were true, but at the same time, I met a good group of people who stuck together for several days, I hadn’t watched any TV in months so it was a nice break to be able to veg out a bit with cheap food, beer and Joey and Chandler…and Vang Vieng is really, really beautiful.
The karst mountains you see in the background of the photo are fascinating and look so exotic compared to mountains I know at home. To float down the river (after the bars) and be surrounded by these mountains, jungle and greenery was magical (maybe someone who was comatose at this point would disagree with me but…). And there’s more to Vang Vieng than baguette sandwiches, beer and bars. We went kayaking, we explored caves along the river where we had to pull ourselves through in an inner tube because the opening was too low, and the water too deep to walk through, we saw Buddha shrines and views of the sleepy little huts. Aside from the partying and bars, it really was peaceful and beautiful. Will I ever go back? No, probably not…but I’m glad I did and have this moment in my memory.
