Thakhek – Vientiane
19th April 2014 38.5’C 387km
Today was the last push, into the capital of Laos, Vientiane. The road, as usual in my brief experience, was excellent for the most part.
On reaching the outskirts of the city, I headed down the ‘450 year road’. I thought that was a strange name for a road, until I rode it. The road was built to celebrate the 450 years since Vientiane became the capital of Laos. There was a whole section of dual carriageway, 6 lanes, of exceptional quality, but with practically zero traffic. Even more bizarrely; while the quality of the road was amazing, with street-lights lining broad boulevards, it appears as though it has been years since anything installed was maintained. The verge was completely overgrown with weeds and bushes.
It felt strangely like a ghost town.
I turned off after 20km, down a dirt track that should meet the Budda park. The dirt track disintegrated into the compete opposite of the boulevard. Potholed, corrugated and generally atrocious. I got a beating, and my muscles felt it at the end of the day.
After visiting the Budda park, I rode into Vientiane proper, again surprised. No traffic, no stress. It felt like riding into a big country town, not a South East Asian capital city. Dilapidated French architecture, mixed with the scent of Asia. I parked up at a hotel, where they suggested I could park the bike in the lobby.
Thr gentleman on reception suggested that we push the bike up the stairs. I said “naaaah, I’ll ride it up the stairs! Too much hard work pushing it!”
So after riding up the stairs into the lobby, to cheers from the spectators waiting in the lobby, I headed out for a walk around town.
Vientiane is a strange city, very laid back and chilled. Nothing happens in a hurry. But it has a mild buzz about it, that I wonder if it will blossom into a capital of the future, along with Laos.
That said, it does have that communist vibe. Huge empty boulevards, garish architectural monuments. Even the sign on the victory monument reads “never finished, the structure is like a concrete monster over the city”. Not exactly an attractive description.
But it does feel like Vientiane has possibility in its grasp. The night market and the beach on the bend in the Mekong are both filled with Laotian and tourists enjoying the city.
That freeway sounds like the small one they have on Vietnam out of HCMC – perfect road, but a speed limit of 80-90 from memory. Anyone who actually usedvit was naturally either taking up 2 lanes or the inside one…