One block behind the Duang Duane, however, is a little garage place that rents brand new Honda Wave scooters in 100% working condition for $5 a day, where we always go to rent. They require to hold your passport in order to rent, so we gave them Pui's, as mine would be busy getting a visa put in it at the Thai Embassy over the next few days.
First we drove out to the Thai Embassy and found that it was not only closed on New Year's Day, which was to be expected, but was closed on January 2nd as well. That really sucked. At least I was able to purcahse for 50 cents the tourist visa application from a guy standing out front of the Consular services building. (The application form has printed on it, down at the bottom, "This form is not to be sold or purchased. It is free.")
Eating nehm nuang in Vientienne
with our friend Too. Delicious
but overpriced.After that, we went off to one of Pui's favorite restaurants: A Vietnamese place a few blocks back from the river that specializes in a dish called "nehm nuang" (pork sausage and noodles wrapped in lettuce and dipped in peanut sauce). We also called up a friend of Rick's and Da's, named Too, who joined us for the meal. (The bill came to a surprisingly high $16. Not bad in America, but astounding at a local's restaurant in Laos.)
Here is something interesting on the
lane near Too's house: "The Mennonite
Central Committee."From there, we drove off to Too's house to relax. Unfortunately, after about 20 minutes there, my stomach started feeling a little jumpy. I suspect it was because the lettuce from the "nehm nuang" was washed in local tap water, and not dried out before serving. Not wanting to be caught on the toilet while a guest in a house — notably a house lacking a Western toilet — I excused myself and left Pui and Pot with Too, and drove myself back to the hotel to lie down.
Fortunately, whatever worked its way through my stomach did so fairly gently, and I slept for about 2 hours or so before room sevice woke me up so that they could clean the room. I took the motorcycle out and went for a ride around Vientienne. (One thing to note is that if you rent a motorcycle in Vientienne, gas stations are rare, and you mostly have to buy from the motorcycle service shops who sell gasoline decanted into whiskey bottles at $1 a pop. Also of note is that the gasoline in Laos is pink, which threw me off, as that is the same color as the gasoline/oil mixture that is sold for the 2-stroke motorcycle engines in Thailand.)
Pui and Tip from Hawaii sitting
at the table with local ladies
sitting behind them.I worked my way back to Too's house, but Too's neighbor directed me to the next sidestreet where Too, Pui, and Pot had gone visiting. I found them siting in the yard of a nice house with some other ladies and a big Hmong fellow named Tip, who actually grew up in Hawaii. (During this particular trip to Laos, I met no less than 5 Hmong-American exiles who had returned to visit for the New Year.) He works in construction in Hawaii, and the first contract his small little start-up company was offered was a million-dollar Chinese Buddhist temple contract. He's definitely going places.
We hung out until early evening at Too's friend's house. (The lady owns and rents several nearby houses... quite nice 2-story, 3-bedroom places, furnished, for $350 per month.)
After leaving, we went back to Bor Pen Nyang for dinner, but Pui was already full (and had had a bit of beer with the local ladies at her friend's house) and wanted to sleep. That left just Pot and I for dinner, so we enjoyed a father-son evening out.
Traditional Lao dancing show
put on at Bor Pen Nyang restaurant,
located on the Riverfront Road.That evening, Bor Pen Nyang had some absolutely enjoyable Lao tranditional music and dancing being peformed on a little stage in the back. Pot and I ate food and watched the dancing. It really was the highlight of the trip, the boy and I together enjoying something local and cultural.
After that, it was home to bed.
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