Vientiane Revisited

When I was visiting Glover Garden and admiring the late afternoon view of Nagasaki, I was reminded again of some places I had visited before. Yes, cities such as Liverpool, Hiroshima, Nanning and Vientiane. At that time, I couldn't help thinking that it could be the one and only time I saw them. Once in a lifetime should be enough. 

But yet from time to time, life did provide a reason for me to return. A year ago, my friend Eday gave me a free trip and I finally returned to Phuket after 13 years. This year turned out to be a time for Vientiane. 15 years after my first and only visit, I came back because of Hard Rock Cafe Vientiane.

In Vientiane. Again!

There are direct flights now (four seats per row, first time seeing this). Back then I had to fly via KL. When I landed, there was this déjà vu feeling that I walked this path at Wattay Airport before. It felt nostalgic, like it was done a lifetime ago. So Bernard and I took the picture there to commemorate the moment. 

As we headed to our hotel, Vientiane felt like a city lost in time. 15 years of progress couldn't do much to change the laid-back image of the capital city of Laos. Yes, there was development done and city looked slightly better than before. It even had Loca and Loca Pay, the local equivalent of Grab and Alipay. But when I recorded the videos and shared them with my high school friends in our group chat, the general comments were how similar Vientiane was with my hometown Pontianak.

Hard Rock, as seen from our hotel.

Except it was quieter, I'd say. That whole mindset of even my hometown was much more crowded that I had since the first visit still remained. But at least the city was clean and safe. And we had a walk. First destination was Hard Rock Cafe, which was so unbelievably near to our hotel, Doubletree by Hilton. The t-shirts collections were much better than Rock Shops in Tianjin and New Delhi!

Based on our itinerary that was created by Perplexity AI, we didn't have anything to do that afternoon, so we walked towards Major Platinum Cineplex. As we headed there, I passed by Wat Sisaket that I visited with Benny 15 years ago. Right in front of us, I saw Patuxai, a monument that has a similar design as Arc de Triomphe in Paris. When we made our final turn, there was Talat Sao in the corner of the junction. The only plaza that existed during my first visit was still there, though it looked much more rundown than before. 

Bernard felt like having Koi in Laos.

We were supposed to watch Thunderbolt* at 16:20, but little did I know that it'd be a Hollywood movie with a local language. As I wasn't ready to see superheroes speaking Thai/Lao, we opted for a latter show at 18:30. We spent our time exploring Parkson and ate at Pizza Company instead. One thing stood out was the waiters/waitresses. Most, if not all, looked underage!

Now, excluding Malaysia and Indonesia, I had also watched movies in Phuket (Green Lantern, 2011) and Bangalore (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, 2023). Each offered a unique experience and the one in Vientiane was no exception. The movie started 15 minutes earlier and it was rebooted again at 18:30 to cater for the rest of audience! Only in Laos, ladies and gentlemen!

Naem khao for supper. It felt like fried rice with something crispy.

The movie ended at around 9 PM and the mall was closed by the time we were out from the cinema. Called our ride using Loca and, before the night ended, we had our supper and two bottles of Beerlao at Muzaik Restaurant and Bar right across where we stayed. 

And since this was Laos, the next day began very late in the morning as there wasn't a need for the rush. After our breakfast, we returned to our rooms before we started sightseeing. Our first stop was the post office because I had this tradition of sending postcards. From there, we headed to Pha That Luang, a Buddhist stupa in the centre of the city. 

Visiting Pha That Luang.

Vientiane felt hotter than Singapore, so soon after that, we headed to Senses, a high end spa at Crowne Plaza. By the time we were done with relaxation, sun had started setting. We made our way to View Kong for early dinner and another round of Beerlao. There we stayed, busy chasing away the flies as we ate, until the night came and Thailand at the other side of Mekong River lighted up. The night ended with a quick stroll at the Night Market and cocktails at Hard Rock Cafe.

The next day was yet another slow morning. As a matter of fact, given the hot weather, we weren't sure if we wanted to go to the Buddha Park that was located 26 KM away from our hotel. When I showed the map to Bernard, he became convinced that we should go to Nong Khai because the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Thanaleng was nearer. 

Waiting for the shuttle bus to Thailand.

So we crossed the border and went to Thailand instead. Since Thailand had just implemented the digital arrival card in early May, it took us some time to enter because we had to queue for the computer and fill in the form. For some reasons, Airsim took a while to work, therefore we queued. Luckily it wasn't a busy border. 

Once we passed through the immigration, the atmosphere immediately felt different. Unlike the sleepy Vientiane, Nong Khai felt like a bustling bigger city. We headed to Tha Sadet Market as I'd like to have a glimpse of life on this side of Mekong River. 

At the Thai side of Mekong River.

We walked towards Tha Sadet Pier that used to be a Thai border in Nong Khai and had a tea break there. While we were sitting and enjoying the river view, people came to set up their stalls. Few hours later, the whole stretch turned into Nong Khai Walking Street. We explored the whole area and eventually called Grab to return to the Thai border. 

When we reached Laos, it turned out that I had insufficient fund due to the low balance on my Revolut card. As a result, not only I failed paying for the earlier trip, but I also breached my Loca limit and was unable to hail a ride now. I contacted Loca support via WhatsApp and within minutes, they completed the verification and solved my issue. Very impressive! Something that I didn't expect from Laos.

Back to Laos again.

The final night ended with us hanging out at Hard Rock Cafe yet again. I ordered November Rain for the band to play. The total cost for the night was LAK 842,960, which was equal to SGD 51.47. On average, the conversion rate was about LAK 16,500 per SGD 1. 

The next day, after breakfast, we flew back to Singapore. Looking back, 15 years later, Vientiane still didn't have much to do that we were basically done with it in two days. I'm glad that we made it to Nong Khai spontaneously on the third day! It was something new and exciting!

Crossing to Nong Khai.

Kembali Ke Vientiane

Beberapa tahun silam, ketika saya berada di Glover Garden dan mengagumi sore menjelang senja di Nagasaki, mendadak terpikirkan oleh saya bahwa pemandangan yang saya lihat itu mungkin untuk pertama dan terakhir kalinya. Ya, kota-kota seperti Liverpool, Hiroshima, Nanning and Vientiane, setelah dikunjungi sekali, sepertinya tak ada lagi alasan untuk kembali ke sana. 

Namun dari waktu ke waktu, hidup ini memberikan kesempatan kedua. Setahun silam, teman saya Eday memberikan liburan gratis dan saya akhirnya kembali ke Phuket setelah 13 tahun. Tahun ini ternyata giliran Vientiane. 15 tahun setelah kunjungan saya yang pertama, saya kembali lagi karena Hard Rock Cafe Vientiane. 

Kembali ke Vientiane lagi.

Ada penerbangan langsung sekarang (hanya empat kursi per baris, pertama kali saya lihat yang seperti ini). Dahulu kala, saya harus transit di KL. Ketika saya tiba, ada perasaan déjà vu bahwa saya sudah pernah menjejakkan kaki di Bandara Wattay. Ada rasa nostalgia seakan-akan semua ini terjadi di kehidupan sebelumnya. Lantas Bernard dan saya berfoto di tempat yang sama. 

Dalam perjalanan ke hotel, Vientiane terlihat seperti kota yang terperangkap oleh waktu. Pembangunan selama 15 tahun terakhir tidak mampu mengikis kesan terbelakang yang kentara di ibukota Laos ini. Ya, memang betul kotanya terlihat memiliki beberapa bangunan baru. Sekarang Laos bahkan memiliki Loca dan Loca Pay, teknologi yang serupa dengan Grab dan Alipay. Namun  ketika saya merekam video dan membagikannya pada teman-teman di grup SMA, mereka berpendapat bahwa kotanya mirip dengan Pontianak. 

Hard Rock, dilihat dari Doubletree by Hilton.

Tapi lebih sepi, menurut saya. Dan ide bahwa kampung halaman saya bahkan terasa lebih ramai, sebuah pemikiran yang muncul sejak saya pertama kali ke Laos, masih terasa. Kendati begitu, setidaknya Vientiane bersih dan aman. Dan kita berjalan kaki. Tujuan pertama adalah Hard Rock Cafe yang berada di seberang hotel kita, Doubletree by Hilton. Koleksi kaosnya lebih banyak dari Rock Shop di Tianjin dan New Delhi.

Berdasarkan rute yang dibuat dengan Perplexity AI, kita tidak memiliki acara apa-apa di sore itu, jadi kita pun berjalan ke Major Platinum Cineplex. Selama perjalanan, kita melewati Wat Sisaket yang pernah saya singgahi bersama Benny 15 tahun yang lalu. Di depan saya ada Patuxai, monumen yang menyerupai Arc de Triomphe di Paris. Kemudian ada pula Talat Sao di persimpangan jalan. Satu-satunya plaza saat saya pertama kali ke Vientiane, Talat Sao masih berdiri hari ini, walaupun sudah terlihat kian tidak terawat.  

Bernard kangen dengan Koi in Laos.

Tiba di bioskop, kita seharusnya menonton Thunderbolt* jam 16:20, tapi ternyata filmnya berbahasa lokal. Saya belum siap menyaksikan para pahlawan super berbincang dalam bahasa Thai/Lao, jadi kita memilih pertunjukan jam 18:30 yang berbahasa Inggris. Setelah membeli tiket, kita melihat-lihat di Parkson dan makan di Pizza Company. Satu yang janggal di sini, para pelayannya terlihat seperti masih di bawah umur! 

Selain di Malaysia dan Indonesia, saya juga pernah menonton film di Phuket (Green Lantern, 2011) dan Bangalore (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, 2023). Setiap pengalaman ini unik adanya dan yang di Vientiane pun ada kesan tersendiri. Filmnya mulai 15 menit lebih awal, trus mendadak diulang lagi pada pukul 18:30 untuk para penonton yang baru saja masuk. Hanya di Laos yang ada seperti ini! 

Naem khao, semacam nasi goreng di Laos. Enak juga rasanya.

Film berakhir sekitar jam sembilan malam dan mal sudah tutup tatkala kita keluar dari bioskop. Setelah memanggil jemputan dengan Loca, kita kembali ke hotel dan makan malam plus Beerlao di Muzaik Restaurant and Bar yang terletak di seberang hotel. 

Dan karena ini adalah Laos, aktivitas di hari berikutnya baru dimulai setelah hari menjelang siang. Kita tidak tergesa-gesa di sini. Setelah sarapan, kita bahkan kembali ke kamar untuk bersantai sejenak. Setelah itu barulah kita menuju ke kantor pos. Dari sana, kita lanjut ke Pha That Luang, kuil Budha di tengah kota. 

Mengunjungi Pha That Luang.

Vientiane terasa lebih panas dari Singapura, jadi kita pun berteduh di Senses, spa di Crowne Plaza. Sesudah kita selesai dengan relaksasi, matahari mulai terbenam. Kita mampir ke View Kong untuk makan malam dan satu ronde Beerlao lagi. Sambil makan dan juga sibuk mengusir lalat, kita berada di sana sampai malam tiba dan Thailand yang berada di seberang sungai Mekong menyala terang. Kemudian kita beranjak ke Pasar Malam dan juga koktail di Hard Rock Cafe.

Keesokan paginya pun berjalan lamban. Berhubung cuaca yang panas, kita tidak yakin apakah Buddha Park yang terletak 26 KM jauhnya dari hotel adalah tujuan yang tepat. Ketika saya menunjukkan peta kepada Bernard, dia sepakat bahwa sebaiknya kita ke Nong Khai saja karena Jembatan Persahabatan Thai-Lao Pertama di Thanaleng lebih dekat jaraknya. 

Menunggu bis dari Laos ke Thailand.

Jadi kita pun menyeberang perbatasan dan pergi ke Thailand. Karena Thailand baru memberlakukan kartu kedatangan digital pada awal Mei, kita pun antri komputer untuk mengisi formulir. Airsim tak langsung berfungsi normal di Thailand sehingga saya tak bisa menggunakan ponsel. Untunglah perbatasan Nong Khai tidak tergolong ramai.  

Setelah melewati imigrasi, suasananya terasa berbeda. Berbeda dengan Vientiane yang lamban, Nong Khai lebih terasa seperti kota besar yang aktif. Kita menuju ke Pasar Tha Sadet karena saya ingin melihat bagaimana kehidupan di seberang Laos. 

Di sungai Mekong di bagian Thailand.

Kita berjalan sampai ke Tha Sadet Pier yang dulunya digunakan sebagai perbatasan Thai di Nong Khai dan minum teh sejenak di sana. Ketika kita duduk mengamati, warga setempat mulai berdatangan menyiapkan tempat dagangan mereka. Beberapa jam kemudian, deretan kios bermunculan memadati Nong Khai Walking Street. Kita mengeksplorasi kawasan tersebut dan akhirnya kembali ke perbatasan Thailand dengan Grab. 

Sewaktu tiba di Laos, ternyata saldo saya di kartu Revolut tidak cukup. Alhasil saya gagal membayar transaksi sebelumnya dan saldo saya yang negatif menembus limit Loca sehingga tak lagi bisa memanggil jemputan. Saya lantas hubungi Loca lewat WhatsApp dan dalam hitungan menit, verifikasi selesai dan masalah pun beres. Sungguh mengesankan! Efisiensi tak terduga di Laos. 

Kembali ke Laos again.

Di malam terakhir, kita kembali bersantai di Hard Rock Cafe lagi. Kali ini saya pesan lagu November Rain untuk dimainkan grup lokal yang bermusik di panggung. Total makan dan minum di malam itu adalah LAK 842.960, setara dengan SGD 51,47. Nilai tukar mata uang Laos LAK 16.500 per SGD 1. 

Keesokan paginya, setelah sarapan, kita pulang ke Singapura. Kalau dilihat kembali, tak banyak yang berubah di Vientiane dalam 15 tahun terakhir. Dalam tempo dua hari, kita bisa dikatakan selesai dengan Vientiane. Untung saja kita spontan ke Nong Khai di hari ketiga. Pengalaman ini baru dan seru! 

Menyeberang ke Nong Khai.