The Thai consular services building
in Vientienne. Long lines, but the visa
application process went fairly quickly.We got to the embassy 45 minutes before it was scheduled to open, and already there were 50 people waiting outside. That quickly swelled to a couple hundred shortly after we joined the line, and stayed at that length throughout the morning even as people were processed through.
There was the first line, where you dropped off your passport and visa application, which was looked over for errors, and then a receipt was given. Then you went to a second waiting area, where your passport and visa application were delivered, and you paid the 1,000 baht fee. (People with dollars or kip were turned away: Baht only.) You were then informed that your passport and visa would be ready after 1:00 p.m. tomorow.
Our travel mates Tom and Newt.
We kept running into them during
our time in Vientienne.While in line, Pui and I met a nice Hmong couple, Tom and Newt. Tom is from Minneapolis, and he and his wife, Newt have a house in Chiang Mai. Newt is a Thai citizen, and Tom is American.
We wound up hanging out with Tom and Newt, and going to Pha That Luang, the grand stupa where supposedly a rib from the Buddha is interned. I didn't see any ribs, but there was a lot of artwork on the walls, and it was a beautiful day for a stroll. Tom and I chatted (Tom speaks perfect English, but no Thai... only Hmong), while Newt and Pui chatted (Newt speaks no English, but perfect Thai and Hmong). Pot tagged along as always. After the stupa, we said our goodbyes to Tom and Newt, and were on our way.
Pui and Pot at
Pha That Luang.The stupa is about one of three tourist attractions in Vientienne, and takes about 20 minutes to visit. Vientienne is really light on specific tourist attractions. It's a great place to wander, especially on a bicycle or scooter, but just not many places to actually stop.
After visting the stupa, we were off to the Vientienne central market. Out front of the market on the main boulevard, I decided to make a U-turn during a red light... not noticing the police box right there. The two police officers on duty jumped right up and snatched me. The traffic stop started to turn comical when the police asked to see my passport to write me a ticket, and I told them that my passport was at the Thai embassy. Then the police asked to see Pui's passport to write her the ticket, and she told them that her passport was with the motorcycle rental guys. Then we offered the police Pot's passport so that they could write him the ticket, and when the officers realized that they were going to have to write a ticket for a 5-year-old, they decided that the whole thing wasn't worth it. I tipped them $5 for my stupidity and they wished us a nice day.
Vientienne central market.At the market, we stopped at a noodle stall, and then ran into Tom and Newt again. We wandered around the market with them, and then said our goodbyes again.
After the market, we went to the riverside park and let Pot play on the playground there, while Pui and I relaxed on a bench. Then Pui wanted to eat the spiciest pappaya salad in the world, served to her at a restaurant she knows of. From there, it was back to the hotel for a break and to watch some television.
Camenbert salad served at La Terrace
is as good as you can hope for. The
rest of the menu is just as amazing.Finally, it was out to dinner at La Terrace, my favorite resturant in all of Asia. I had the Camenbert salad... a deep fried wheel of cheese on top of a bed of lettuce, with cheese-and-almond-covered italian bread on the side. I had that and several glasses of their lovely "Lao Punch", which was a whiskey sour with honey mixed in. Pui had spaghetti, and Pot had french fries, which is his favorite food on earth.
From there, it was back to the hotel to sleep.
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