Sakon and Laos Trip

[CTO]

I had to go to Sakon Nakorn for the ICT Show there. Having been at last years in Khon Kan, this one in a much smaller city was actually better for the company.

 

However driving 110 Kms there and back each day from our site near Sawang, was boring, so decided to stay a night and give the car to the engineer to drive back and forth.

 

Stayed at the Dusit Sakon Nakorn, I doubt it is related to the Bangkok Hotel, but nice enough, great bed, bathtub which is nice, but Sakon Nakorn has to be the most boring city in Thailand.

 

Even Sawang Dan Din, which is only 10 000 or so people is more interesting!

 

Big C was the high light, though they had a cinema, nothing was playing worth watching.

 

Still a good trip with Rajaput wanting to work closer with the company, and the Governor of Province happy with our work in Sakon to date

 

On Saturday I had to go to Laos for the day.

 

Drove to the border, now tell me, what did Canada do to deserve paying the highest Visa fee?

 

No photo as usual, so paid the extra $1, calculated if you pay in Baht at 40 to the $1, ouch!

 

Still, easy enough to cross and by 10am I was eating a great Vietnamese/French sandwich.

 

Interesting a lot of the really old taxis are gone, just old now, and the Chinese made "Cherry" cars are everywhere for sale, nice car I remember from Beijing. The wife was in love with a hot pink one, $7500US new, nothing that cheap in Bangkok, though it is read they will sell them here this year, I wonder how much?

 

I usually eat at a little cafe around the corner from the Lao Plaza Hotel, or the Phone Pasuth, but it had closed so ate up the road, not as good bt still fantastic!

 

Had a Beer Laos, then a second, most unusual, but I'd worked hard all week.

 

I forget how cheap eating in Vientiane is. For the second breakfast of the day had a chocolate bread, Cappuccino, Small Beer Loas, wife had a lamington, Hot Chocolate, total bill, 150 Baht at the Scandinavian Cafe.

 

Rented a motorbike for the day, 200 baht, same as if for 24 hours. Was good to drive till it rained!

 

BEER

 

Now the serious part of the trip.

 

Tried to buy some Beer Laos Dark for a mate, only in restaurants, tried to buy boxes of Beer Laos Cans, and was told even before trying it would be hard.

 

4 supermarkets later, all I could do was by a box of 24 small bottles (330 baht) and 24 cans from the fridge, loose packed into a large shopping bag (310 baht)

 

Silk in the markets is both harder to find and not as good as in the past PLUS more expensive.

 

I am beginning to think the good things Laos does that can be shipped, like silk and beer, are getting bought up in bulk, at least with the beer that seems to be so.

 

Didn't drive over the border, forgot to ask, as was tight on time, but taxis each way 200 baht, same price as before, I am sure with time I can get 150 but hardly worth it.

 

Back in Bangkok, Laos to Bangkok in 7 1/2 hours driving, I had a wedding to attend, very enjoyable, and interesting as it was very good people, but from the video, $ still exchanged. Funny thing, they put photo's of the couple, taken days before, in blocks of ice that melt during the evening (The ice that is)

 

 

[MooNoi]

Nice report. Interesting reading.

 

Did you see any dog for sale in restaurants in Sakhon Nakhon? Apparently, it's the only town in Thailand that eats dog, (maybe the Vietnamese influences up there?), and the town has a reputation for it.

 

Apparently, after other parts of Thailand voiced their displeasure at this, the dog meat industry there went underground somewhat, so just wondering if you saw any evidence of it when you where there.

[unit731]

Good Read. Thanks.

 

I do wish to get to Laos before Communism disappears and 'democracy' takes over and ruins one of the last vestiges of good old Communism.

 

I love the smell of a good old Commie city in the morning !

[CTO]

Dog meat is not cheap - 200 - 300 Baht a kilo, no idea on pedigree affecting the price.

 

Dog eating is very common all across Sakon Nakorn province, where our sites are I drove past a row of tents on a lake front, "Moving Restaurant" my wife told me!

 

What?

 

"Moving restaurant, when police come, they pack p and move quick!

 

Why?

 

"Because they eat DOG"

 

Boring city though, I was told they have Dog restaurants, (not tents) but thankfully didn't see any and ate KFC.

[Julian2]

Good Read. Thanks.

 

I do wish to get to Laos before Communism disappears and 'democracy' takes over and ruins one of the last vestiges of good old Communism.

 

I love the smell of a good old Commie city in the morning !

Apart from the odd hammer and sickle flag you'd never know that Communism reigned, U731.

Free enterprise is everywhere and a lot of the old time party workers have given up. I had a talk to a guy one night who spent 20 years in the good old USSR learning to be a good Communist. He said it was all a load of shit. Very well educated though, spoke fluent English, Russian, French, Vietnamese et al.

The only thing you can smell in the morning is the smoke from the burning rice fields drifting over the Mekong from Thailand.

Vientiane... Jeez I love that city.

[Encore]

I find Beer Lao in cans has not quite the same taste as the big bottles. The dark beer, only available in small bottles, is OK, a tad sweet, but nice with lunch.

 

[CTO]

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Vientiane... Jeez I love that city.>>

 

You forget the smell of real bread baking! Arhhhhhh, Hmmmmm