100 days

I've been 'on the road' for exactly one hundred days. Another small landmark reached. I haven't eaten a Sainsbury's Caramel Slice, or used a mobile telephone, or been to work, for nearly a third of a year.

I'm staying at the Phet Phim Guesthouse in the centre of Vientiane. The hotel looks out across the Mekong River (alongside which Vientiane is wrapped). I've been sharing a room with a Japanese guy I met at the bus station called Jun, and hanging out with a German girl called Claudia. Both Jun and Claudia have moved north this morning, as they are more pressed for time than me, but I suspect I may meet up with them again before they head back to their respective homes. I'm holding on here for a few days, because the city is in the midst of it's annual festival, culiminating in boat-racing on the river on Saturday night. I thought I'd like to stay and see this before I leave, and I can - after all - take as long as I like.

So what's the Laos Peoples Democratic Republic like? The Lonely Planet people say that, 'Laos' isolation from foreign influence offers travellers an unparalleled glimpse of traditional Southeast Asian life. From the fertile lowlands of the Mekong River valley to the rugged Annamite highlands, Laos is the highlight of Southeast Asia. This is the least developed and most enigmatic of the three former French Indochinese states.'

High praise. Something Laos often receives. Speaking personally, I've found everywhere I've been that Laos is hyped beyond belief. It's always 'yeah but Laos is cheaper,' or 'more beautiful,' or 'less spoilt.' This (as always with hype) serves only to facilitate a slight feeling of anti-climax when you actually arrive. A sense of expectation which cannot really be lived up to. But Laos is clearly a lovely little place, and I'm very happy to be here.

So far, I've noticed that Laos people are almost invariably relaxed, and genuinely friendly. For example, last night I saw an army soldier on duty walking down the street with a machine gun. When he walked past me he gave me a big smile and stopped briefly to wave at me. It's an image that will stay with me I think, and says something about the national psyche.

I've also noticed what a tiny place Laos is. It's just mind boggling that Vientiane is a capital city, because it is so small. For those from Suffolk - I'd say it's not really much bigger than Kessingland geographically. I went to get some kip (the national currency) from the bank the day before yesterday, and, after looking for what is described in my guide book as the main bank, found a small kiosk not much larger than an ice cream booth, with only two people sat inside. I requested what I thought was a nominal amount of money and was given so many kip bank notes it was literally impossible to fit them in my wallet. I'd say my pile of kip is currently about 4cm high.

Another observation: Laos people seem to align themselves quite closely with Thailand, and are quite Thai influenced. The Laos and Thai languages are quite similiar, as are the buildings, and Thai television is ubiquitous in Laos. Vietnam, which is just as close as Thailand, seems to be regarded as a quite 'foreign' place, and there seems to be little identification between the Laos and the Vietnamese. My impression is that they seem weary of each other.

Vientiane. It's hard to call Vientiane a beautiful city, because, well, it's not very beautiful. The attraction is more that it has a relaxed feel, and a slow pace. There's not much traffic, nobody hassles you but all seem to be friendly, and there's little sense of stress or hurry. I quite like the place although I can't see myself spending more than a few days here.

A word on: Beer Lao. Developed with French assistance this is generally considered to be the best beer in Southeast Asia, and has international awards to prove it. Well, for my money it's not as nice as Tiger Beer (from Singapore), my personal beer of choice out here, but I do prefer it to Beer Chang (Thailand), Singha (Thailand), Angkor (Cambodia), Saigon Red (Vietnam), Halida (Vietnam) or Saigon Green (Vietnam) which is basically Saigon Red with a different word printed on the label. Beer Lao is a little bit watery and weak for my liking. I won't be airing this view publicly while I'm here as I suspect it could result in my deportation.

So where next for Charles E Bury? Around Sunday or Monday I'll move north to the town of Vang Vieng, which is popular with travellers for tubing and kayaking. I've already researched catching a bus up and it's easy - only a couple of dollars, and it takes about four or five hours. More broadly, my plan is to make a slow passage north through several Laos towns and beauty spots, and then turn left and back into Northern Thailand at the end of October.