LIVES: Laos

I arrived in Vientiane, Laos a week ago from Hanoi, Vietnam by bus. It took 22 hours, which was faster than I expected, probably because I was in sleep for 3/4 of the way. At the border I had to pay 20000 kip (about $2.5, they even gave me a discount without me asking!) instead of 10000 kip since my Vietnam visa was expired over one day since the bus took over night.
You would realize right away that Laos is so much more chilled than Vietnam by seeing the traffic and people. There are less motorbikes and they rarely honk at each other. I can see the traffic rules are more organized and people actually follow the rules. There are many monks who are wrapped with orange cloth walking sometimes with an umbrella for avoiding the sun. I can also look things with my own pace without a storekeeper standing right next to me. They rarely make discount but don't try to rip you off either.
The weather is really nice and can be too hot especially for me since I was used to cold Montana/Tokyo and rainy Vietnam weather. My shirt gets soaking wet just by walking around but dries quickly too. I haven't heard the scream of cicadas for a long time.

After staying in Vientiane for four days (a part of reasons I left was that I met a girl who got bitten by bedbugs in one of the hostels), I took another bus for four hours to come to another small town,Vang Vieng. It is well known for vacation place by many Europeans. It sounds like it can be a party town at night but it is very quiet and peaceful during the day. There are many big beautiful rocky mountains rising ahead with Nam Song river surrounded by dense colorful green trees. People either going to play in the river doing kayaking, tubing, and swimming, or just hang out at cafes all day by reading or watching "Friends" or "Family Guy" with a big TV screen (I was a little thrown off by that). It has a nice mix of nature, originality, and modernity and the whole town is made for relaxing and nothing else. I forget which day it is and even where I am. I have to be careful not to spend the rest of my life here.

約22時間バスに揺られて、ベトナムのハノイからラオスのヴィエンチャンに到着後一週間が経つ。ほとんど半分以上はバスの中で寝てたので、22時間も何気にあっという間。国境で、夜行バスだったのもありベトナムのビザが1日オーバーしてしまい、通常１万Kip（126円）のところを２万kip（252円。しかも聞いてもいないのに値下げしてくれた）を払い問題なく通過。
町に着いて人や交通機関を見てまず気づく事は、ベトナムよりもかなり穏やか！バイクはもっと少なく車が多く、警笛を鳴らす人もほとんどいない。交通機関も整っていて、人々がルールをちゃんと守っているのに変にびっくりしてしまう。オレンジの布で身体を巻いた修道士さん達をよく見かけ、たまに日傘をさして歩いている。お店で物を見る時も、ベトナム人の様にお店の人の顔が３ｃｍほど近くにもなく、ゆっくり自分のペースで見れる。値段交渉はなかなかしてくれないが、その分ぼったくりも少ない。天候もかなりよく、モンタナと東京での寒い気候とベトナムでの雨に慣れてしまった私には暑過ぎるくらい。ちょっと歩くだけでＴシャツも汗でびっしょりするけど、すぐに乾く。町を歩いていたら、久々の蝉の泣き声も聞こえた。

４日間ヴィエンチャンにステイした後、トコジラミにやられた旅人の女の子に会ったのもあり、バスで４時間のところにあるヴァンヴィエンという小さな町に移動。ここは欧米人にはバケーションとして有名らしい。夜はパーティー会場になる所も多いらしいが、昼間はとても静かでかなり穏やか。壮大な崖山が聳え立ちNam Song川が流れ緑の茂みで囲まれているとっても美しい町。旅行者はカヤックをやったりチュービングをしたり泳いだり、又はカフェで一日中本を読んだり、かなり大きいテレビでアメリカでもよくやっていた「Friends」や「Family Guy」を見たりしている。これにはちょっと調子が狂うが、自然とオリジナリティーと現代観が良い具合に混じりあった感じの町。とにかく町全体がリラックスの為以外の何者でもないという感じ。何曜日なのか何日なのか、下手したらここが何処なのかも忘れてしまいそうになる。少しは気を付けないと、このまま一生ここに居たくなってきてしまう危険さがある。