LAOS    DIARY  3

We head out to the airport at the present time, as the man in Nam Tai said we should. Waiting for an hour, looking for life in the mud holes by the track, feeding ants with sugar from the sticky pastries we bought in the square,
and then there comes a little staff. We book in, pay almost a penny in airport charges, and sit and get bored almost alone in a rather worn-out waiting room. A native and an American, who works with AIDS prevention shows up. We wait while we look at the branched corridors of the ants behind one of the benches, as well as the large spiders on the unilluminated and rather damp toilet.

The door to the runway blows up, and we go out into the bright sunlight. Geckos crawl on the wall and the locals cross the runway. Finally, something happens; a few armed men walk down the track. The big fire truck takes the same ride. Then there is an eternity going on. We settle into the now open cafeteria. The guy seems more unfamiliar with the place than us; the girl who was supposed to work had gone.

Suddenly, a plane pops up, lands and taxis return to the airport building. A few military personnel show up with some luggage, and then there is quiet again. We find out, that our flight only arrives in two hours, so we head into town to get something to eat.
When we return, there is a little more activity and after a new eternity we are boating. In one seat in front of us there are three girls (those who served lunch for us) in one double seat. Rikke's seat is loose, the speaker holes are hand embroidered and it all seems a bit improvised. We sit on row 13, which is just called 14. We take-off at 3.30.

We fly over rice fields, folding mountains with forest and tiny fields. During the descent, steam is pouring into the cabin, but as the locals take it easy, we do not bother to get up.
The trip to the centre of Vientiane costs 30 kroner, and not like the first time: 15 $. We trot out to the Aeroflot office we saw the last time we were in town. They have to have $ 20 to re-confirm our ticket, but what's the alternative? Then we walk around a bit, just to spend time. The first hotels we try are full, so we strike at $ 20 of luxury. Dinner is also becoming a luxury; $ 20 Italian delicacies.

10. We get breakfast at the Scandinavian patisserie, where the price is also Scandinavian, and incredibly high! Then we finally find a tourist office. It takes a while for him who speaks English, to have time, so we will see all (4) brochures through. We tell him, that we would like to see nature and animals. He sits a little apprehensive and then asks: What are you doing in Laos? There are no animals here. You may find some 3-4 day marches out in the primeval forest, but we must not go there at all. We can visit villages and that's it! Well, now, we head South.

We take a bus to Pax Xane, here we wait for an hour, then continue to Tha Knaek, it takes three hours. We are the last to arrive on board, so there is no room for more. We have to stand up, but at least we came with, there was not one thing more to see in town, and no hotel. It goes through sugar cane, newly planted rice and grasslands. There is a naked bulb hanging over the ponds, so the fish can get night insects. We find the city's only hotel, the concierge can't say a word of English.
In the evening, the lights of the Thai side of the Mekong River are seen.

11. After breakfast we try to get to an animal hospital with a zoo. Here we should see the local animals. We drive 105 kilometres back to a T-junction with one taxi, wait five minutes and then up the side road with another, for two and a half hours, to Lao Sok. There was an error on our map; as a result, it should have taken a half hour in total!

The area is one of the senior general's favourite development areas. On the way, we pass a huge industrial complex. The town itself is nothing to shout about, but a little outside it is a six- or eight-lane road, three-kilometre-long boulevard, that leads from a small dirt road to absolutely nothing. In the middle of it, is pavement and road lighting right next to the huge modernist castle. On the lawn there is a polished Russian helicopter. Around the palace there are huge villas for the trusted. It all seems surreal.

Wander around but can't find the smallest trace of the zoo. Either we are in the wrong Lao Sok or it is true that the manager became unfriendly to the government. We can't really find a hotel, just a very secluded one on the edge of the palace area.

We decide to call it a failure, and return to civilization. We take the same taxi back, and stop to take goods aboard the city that has long canoes, made of cluster bombs. Back at the T-junction. Wait five minutes and then drive the last bus of the day to Pax Xane - we think. It turns out that our big two-row truck turns 50 kilometres outside of Pax Xane. We are told that there are no more buses tonight, and that the city's only accommodation is a villa. The owner will be home at 21, in two hours. We try to move on, but we have to bite the bullet. We get some food and walk through the street ,before hotel-mates show up with the family. It was late!

12. The first thing we meet on the street, is a bunch of all black geese, very nice. We walk along the country road to a very large and high bridge over the river Pakase Yoka. Along the roadside grows wild millet. Beautiful views, and it seems very tempting to get up the river, but it takes more days than we can afford.

After a little discussion back and forth, we trot back to town. We can't find breakfast, so we get hungry on the bus and drive the 120 kilometres back to Vientiane. Decides to go out to a lodge, located 24 kilometres outside Vientiane. Have resourcefulness enough to investigate which way. That's at least the road we're on. Jumps off at the 24 kilometre stone, out into the wilderness.

I just see the ass of a bus driving up the side road. We start off the hot and deserted country road. Seeing several over-run snakes and toads. Live bearded- and copper agamas crawl around in the shadow of the scorched bushes. Rikke says at one point, "I'm weird in my head!" Then she adds something with sunscreen - something.

Some cars pass by, we try to hitchhike, and they wave back nicely. It repeats itself about five kilometres, then a small truck stops. It's a bunch of young guys who have loaded beer, chips and guitar, and are heading out into the blue to party. We drive to a T-junction, and then start walking again.

A tuk-tuk, which seems at best out of place in the countryside, comes by. Two Irish backpackers failed to reach the bus in Vientiane. We get a lift and are ripped off by the driver. Well, it had been a long walk too. In the little village we get to, we go down to the river. Here are a few enterprising boatmen hiring us the entire fleet. Now we are so dry behind the ears, and red in the neck, so we can negotiate the official tariff (for tourists).

We chug down the river for a long time. Rikke complains, she sees nothing; she is the bilge pump. At a curve, the Lao Pako lodge appears, high above the river. We climb up the greasy clay pit and come to a delicious camp. It has been built to house the students, who worked for a Swedish company that would plant eucalyptus, where the locals had cleared the primeval forest.

It is run by a very nice New Zealander who gives us the cheap rooms for 60 $ (the expensive ones for $ 100 with bath were sold out). We patch the worst holes in the window nets and arrange the mosquito nets over the bed. Then we walk up to the large veranda built across the river. All food and drinks are written up in the room book, and then we pay with the room, when we head on.

After the afternoon snack, there will be time for a walk in the jungle. There is a map of a few trails, and some explanation of what to meet. In several places, we see groups of brown and blue butterflies sucking minerals.
A quick shower, then there is a large buffet table. As always, some dishes are better than others, but common to them is that you can only guess some of the ingredients.

The air is buzzing with birds and insect voices at dusk. On the opposite river bank, one is sitting on a wooden canoe. They have powerful voices with a very wide and varied language. In the bathroom sits a nice leaf-frog, it keeps the cockroaches down!

As we are on our way to bed, Rikke asks if it is not a big spider in the corner. Well, it's a gigantic big spider. I try to pin it with the umbrella while Rikke screams. I do not know what scares it the most, but it flees noisy from the wall. The next attack scares it into a hole in the braided bamboo wall. I think that is now Jesper and Morten's problem, but the "out of sight - out of mind" theory does not work with Rikke. I squeeze the reluctant beast out, fight it a little more, and then spread it across a small square foot. Despite that, it's hard to get chased Rikke over in her own bed.

13. Morning start with a magnificent bird concert, and breakfast on the terrace. Rikke wants a quiet, relaxing day. We others find paddles and take one of the camp canoes. We get set so the paddles are in the competition. Not clever; we zigzaging across the river, and make a single pirouette. At least, we give Rikke some entertainment.

The other side is almost vertical mud in Vaseline texture. We take turns to stand with the camera ready, but disappointment! It takes us less than 10 minutes to get lost (the map is flawed and highly misleading) but the scenery is magnificent. Epiphytes, insects, noisy hornbills, strange growths, beautiful flowers, giant spider webs (1½ m in diameter), beautiful beetles, quirky flying sticks, large tree bears, orchids, lianas, brightly coloured grasshoppers and large green beetles. Great nature experience!

We come to a village, but turn around in the woods. Then we get to a clearing where the sun is hammering relentlessly down. A single cabin with a single woman. Pure Robinson Crusoe.
We turn around (we probably think), and find a beautiful clearing by the river, from which I can wave to Rikke. The trip back across the river is significantly better.

A little food, a bath, some dry clothes, and then I head back into the woods. Finds the wheel track that leads into the village. Absolutely white, hourglass-fine sand bordered by massive green forest. Far into the jungle, I come to a great newborn clearing. A couple of saws are working at the other end of the clearing. They are giant trees they fall, up to 4 meters in diameter and maybe 50 meters high.

I walk a bit around the tree tops (down to earth). Lots of epiphytes and orchids, some must be brought home! On the way back, I catch up with the boys. We could well have spent a few more days out in the wild.
Back in camp, we are greeted by the black cat, who is constantly moaning. We spray water after it and once I get it real! It gets revenge (the first time) by provoking a green slimy vomit pile, right next to our table. Dinner and cosiness on the terrace, then looked up at the boards.

14. Rikke can't sleep, and asks me (5-6 times) if I can. Just waking up a little, as the cat comes milling up from the window net. Great sound in the black night. It crawls into the attic, releasing a bucket of gravel and it filth down through my mosquito net. My bed is reminiscent of an off-road lane, the entire night! Then you might as well get up.

Breakfast and solar heating before paying $ 62 for food, and heading towards civilization. We wait for a soda time, while Rikke cuddles with a few dogs. Then comes a crowded bus which takes all the little back roads to Vientiane.

At the bus station we ask for a bus to Buddha Park. It should have gone, but we were assigned a minibus, which runs after three minutes. It runs only 20 meters and is stuffed so wild with students. We drive under the big friendship bridge to Thailand and then come to the park.

One guy invented his own religion, mainly based on Hindu and Buddhism. He performed miracles and got money for it. He used them to make some giant concrete statues, sometime in the 60s. A large three-story pumpkin holds hell, earth and heaven. A small improvised restaurant offers fried chicken. The legs are devoured by a bunch of dogs. On a toilet sits a giant hunting spider and a sweet deciduous frog.

We run to the bus and drive back to Vientiane. Look around the big market and find a nice hotel. On the way, we passed a French western restaurant advertising the banana split. We find back to it, and start with burgers and fries. Hot bath, soft bed - what not to get for 180 kroner.

15. Last whole day; breakfast in the Scandinavian patisserie, museum, located in a big old temple, another really old temple, shopping in the big market by the bus square. The day marked by restlessness. Dinner at the French western restaurant again.

16. The concierge will have three percent extra, when we pay with plastic cards. I refuse, and in the confusion he gets only taken 20 and not $ 40. Sorry - sorry. Scandinavian breakfast, and then a taxi to the airport. Pay a little more fees, visa extension fines and then say goodbye to the boys flying to Vietnam in an hour or two.

When just swallowing the food, then we are in Bangkok. Bus to the city centre, then down into Kao Sang Road where everything can be bought. The street is a little like the good shops at the festival. It is teeming with back-packers and some of the prices bear the mark. However, the food costs only 30 kroner for two, with soda. Finds a bag, two pairs of nice sandals, a pair of rubber sandals, gold / silver ring, a scarf, a silk shirt, and other souvenirs.
Dinner at a Hard-Rock Cafe-like bar, a little more shopping, and then take the bus out to the airport. Scheduled to Moscow.

17. Landing in Moscow in the morning, some snow on the runways, very cold. "What the hell am I doing so far north?" Why did I leave Bangkok ?! Nine and a half hours to fly to Copenhagen. Card games, window shopping, photographing a few bottles of cognac for $ 1300 - it's easier than dragging them home to Finn!

Finally, we can get tickets and together with them, we get dining tickets. The food is expensive; about 150-200 kroner for a meal. The food ticket can only be used in Aeroflot's joint. A bunch of matrons control it with a hard hand. Some American Afro-Americans have been a little too smart. They come home crying to Harlem!

They change from breakfast to dinner and we strike. A bowl of gray (artichoke?) Soup, a bowl of cooked pomegranate with a breaded cutlet on it, and a glass of apple juice. We dare not ask for the salt.
Five minutes before our Aeroflot flight, the SAS flight leaves for Copenhagen. Meaning; it leaves on time we wait just an hour and a half! More food, and then we are in Denmark. Buy ticket three minutes before the train to Roskilde departs.
Nice holiday, just too few nature experiences.


Price for two: 25,000 kroner.
Luggage including camera 500/3500 gr.