Stuck in vientian

Sorry my friends that I didnt write anything for more than a week. It was because of the situation which I had in Lao, just 2 days before I arrive to Vientiane I announced through an email from David (an agent in Uzbekistan) who was following my request for LOI for Chinese visa that it failed and they dont issue LOI for an individual traveler from Iran (as we are all terrorist, carrying nuclear weapon), so it was ok, I am much open to change my schedule, and I can change my route so easy and take another direction. I arrived to Vientiane and a day after I went to Thai embassy to get visa for Thailand due to I am going to go back home for a short break (3-4 weeks) in middle of September, (also it is a special month in Muslim culture which is called Ramadan and I like to spend that time with my mother at home. I traveled a lot but I have to say that nothing is comparable with the feeling which I had at sunset, in Ramadan on the same table with my mother). so I booked a flight from Bangkok to Iran and I have to go to Bangkok and Thailand didnt issue me visa, so I was stuck in Vientiane and it looked that there was nowhere to go. But it was the thing that I could see, I was sure that my river will open agate for me and just I have to wait and be patient to see what will happen. Fortunately Iran has great ambassador in Bangkok, I contacted him and informed him about my situation, just a day after I got a letter from Iran embassy and brought it to Thai embassy, they will give me my visa on Monday. Also they are trying to help me to get visa for China, I dont like to miss China and its old culture, I am sure it will be fine and I will find a way to get visa, just I am waiting to hunt the right moment and it will come.

So last few days just I was busy with these matters and actually I didnt do more. Everyday wake up, eating breakfast, going to the town or chatting with other foreigners and just killing the time till I become free from stuck.

I am planning to go to the north for few days and then cycle down to Bangkok, but my bicycle need some stuff and I hope I can find them here, due to the chain of bicycle doesn’t work anymore. Last 2 month, almost all the time I cycled under rain and it ruined the chain, so I need a new one and I hope I can find it here, otherwise I have to take a bus to Bangkok.

Let explain Vientiane, it is capital of Lao, but it is very small and no busy traffic and noise. It is so calm city and I really like it. Very clean and no pollution, it is just next to the Thailand and the countries are split by Mekong which is huge river, just there is a bridge which is called friendship bridge and it is the only connection between Thailand and Lao. Mekong is coming from the mountain in south of China and all the way goes down to the China sea. it is more than half part of border between Lao and Thailand. Vientiane also is flat city and no more high buildings there. Lao totally has about 5 million population, thats why it is clean and no pollution and traffic.

I think it would be nice to explain how I am living here, I got a room and a small guest house, it has a window and private bath room, it is fine and I am paying 5$ a day for. My stuff are all in the corner of room and each new day they occupied more place, I think if I stay here more 2 days, I wont have any place to walk inside the room. Yesterday I washed my cloths and I fix a rope inside the room and I hanged my cloths inside the room, (in Kuantan I hanged my cloths outside and wind took my shirt so I try to save my cloths !!!!!). it has a small table with a mirror and my PC is on the table and I have to sit just in front of myself and all the time I have to look at my eyes in the mirror(not very interesting picture), however it is ok, it is fine sometime looking at your self to find how you are ugly and how much you have to try to make yourself clean from everything, from wrong thoughts, bad feeling, hating each other,..too many things that I have to clean myself from them. So hard job.

By the way yesterday I cycled to Buddha park which is just 30km far from Vientiane with Ek my American friend. it is a park with many statues of Buddha and some other ok let me find some pictures to place in website. See you soon

1 Sep 2007