Travel 101 ... Vientiane
YOU can take Vientiane out of being a small town and make it the capital of the country, but you can't take the small town out of it. Pronounced "Wieng Chan" by the locals, life in Laos' largest city is as idyllic as the Mekong river which runs through it. You'll find yourself slowing down, influenced by provincial air and the sweet easy-going nature of the Lao people. Whether you're in the comfort of a lovely French colonial bungalow or a scruffy riverside bar, it's easy to let endless tropical days melt into gentle nights here.
Breakfast at Le Banneton Cafe: S$6.60
You could almost make believe you're in France - a road is called a "rue" and the breads are crusty, especially at Le Banneton (568 Ban Mixay, Rue Nokeokaummane). Order the Gourmand breakfast set (43,000 kips) where there's latte, juice, eggs with bacon or ham, baguette and vienosserie of croissants or brioche. Now that's a real breakfast to get you started.
City tour of Vientiane: S$60.28
Choose to see the city in an air-conditioned car or the more eco-friendly bicycle with a tour with Exotissimo Travel (http://laos.exotissimo.com). Prices start from US$34 (S$41.90) and the tour brings you to the temples of Wat Sisaket, Wat Phra Keo and the Black Stupa. Lunch is an additional US$15 at the highly-rated Makphet Restaurant, which doubles up as a vocational institution training street children for the hospitality industry.
Visit to COPE Visitor Centre: S$18.45
This sleepy little nation of soft-spoken people is sadly the most bombed country in the world. Unexploded ordinance remains a problem today and the good people behind non-profit organisation Cooperative Orthotic And Prosthetic Enterprise or COPE (www.copelaos.org) provide prosthetics and mobility devices for those in need. Visiting the exhibitions at COPE is free, but please leave a donation or buy gifts from the shop. According to the website, a donation of US$15 would provide food for a week.
Dinner at Kong View Restaurant: S$15.38
To end the day with cheap, good grub with a riverside view to boot, head for Kong View Restaurant (www.view-goodview.com). Order the Deep Fried Keung Fish topped with Lemongrass (60,000 kips), the Luang Prabang Sausages (31,000 kips) and an ice-cold glass of Beer Laos (9,000 kips) to make it a good night out.
Total: S$100.68
Prices and conversion rate accurate as of press time
~Courtesy of Today~
http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC110616-0000002/Travel-101-,,,-Vientiane
2011年6月22日星期三
2011年6月20日星期一
Khon Kaen to Vientiane Transport
Bus from Khon Kaen to Vientiane
泰国孔敬往寮国永珍巴士（公车）
745am and 315pm daily 每天
180 THB
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2011年6月14日星期二
2011年6月11日星期六
2011年6月9日星期四
Cross Border Bus 国际巴士
泰寮友谊1桥过桥巴士（公车）
Thai-Lao 1st Friendship Bridge - Cross border bus
车资 Fare - 20THB
Thai-Lao 1st Friendship Bridge - Cross border bus
车资 Fare - 20THB
2011年6月8日星期三
Basic Lao Phrases 基本寮语
Hello. 你好。
(Sa-bai-Dee.)
What's Up? 什么事？
(Pen Jung Dai?)
How are you? 你号码？
(Sa-bai-Dee Baw?)
Fine, thank you. 很好。
(Sa-bai-Dee.)
What is your name? 请问你的名字是？
(Seuh Jâo Maen/Bpen Nyung?)
My name is ______ . 我的名叫＿＿＿。
(Seuh Khàwy Maen/Bpen _____.)
Please. 请。
(Kalunaa)
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Khawp Jai)
It's nothing. 没事。
(Baw Pen Nyung.)
Yes. 是。
(Maen Laeow/Doi/Eur/Jao)
No. 不。
(Baw)
Excuse me/I'm Sorry. (Begging Pardon) 对不起。
(Khǎw Thôht)
Goodbye and Take Care 再见。
(Sôhk Dee Der)
Do you speak English? 你会说英语吗？
(Jâo Wâo Pháa-Sǎa Ung-Kit Dai Baw?)
I can't speak English very well. 我的英语不太好。
(Khàwy Baw Wâo Pháa-Sǎa Ung-Kit Dai Dee)
I can't speak ____. 我不会讲＿＿。
(Khàwy Wâo Pháa-Sǎa ____ Baw Dai.)
Please speak slowly. 请慢慢讲。
(Kalunaa, Wâo Sah-Saah)
Do you understand? 你知道吗？
(Jâo Khào Jai Baw?)
--Yes. I understand. 是，我知道。
(Maen Laeow. Khàwy Khào Jai)
--No. I don't understand. 不，我不知道。
(Baw. Khàwy Baw Khào Jai)
Go to sleep 去睡觉。
(Bpai Náwn)
Where is the bathroom? 厕所在哪里？
(Hàwng Nâm Yuu Sǎi?)
(Ethnicity)I am ____. 我是＿＿国的人。
(Khoy Pen Khon ____.)
~Info courtesy of Wikitravel~
(Sa-bai-Dee.)
What's Up? 什么事？
(Pen Jung Dai?)
How are you? 你号码？
(Sa-bai-Dee Baw?)
Fine, thank you. 很好。
(Sa-bai-Dee.)
What is your name? 请问你的名字是？
(Seuh Jâo Maen/Bpen Nyung?)
My name is ______ . 我的名叫＿＿＿。
(Seuh Khàwy Maen/Bpen _____.)
Please. 请。
(Kalunaa)
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Khawp Jai)
It's nothing. 没事。
(Baw Pen Nyung.)
Yes. 是。
(Maen Laeow/Doi/Eur/Jao)
No. 不。
(Baw)
Excuse me/I'm Sorry. (Begging Pardon) 对不起。
(Khǎw Thôht)
Goodbye and Take Care 再见。
(Sôhk Dee Der)
Do you speak English? 你会说英语吗？
(Jâo Wâo Pháa-Sǎa Ung-Kit Dai Baw?)
I can't speak English very well. 我的英语不太好。
(Khàwy Baw Wâo Pháa-Sǎa Ung-Kit Dai Dee)
I can't speak ____. 我不会讲＿＿。
(Khàwy Wâo Pháa-Sǎa ____ Baw Dai.)
Please speak slowly. 请慢慢讲。
(Kalunaa, Wâo Sah-Saah)
Do you understand? 你知道吗？
(Jâo Khào Jai Baw?)
--Yes. I understand. 是，我知道。
(Maen Laeow. Khàwy Khào Jai)
--No. I don't understand. 不，我不知道。
(Baw. Khàwy Baw Khào Jai)
Go to sleep 去睡觉。
(Bpai Náwn)
Where is the bathroom? 厕所在哪里？
(Hàwng Nâm Yuu Sǎi?)
(Ethnicity)I am ____. 我是＿＿国的人。
(Khoy Pen Khon ____.)
~Info courtesy of Wikitravel~
Laotian Language
Lao (ພາສາລາວ pháa-sǎa láo) is the main language of Laos. Thai is also closely related to Lao, and the Isaan dialect spoken in the northeast is, with minor differences in vocabulary aside, virtually identical to Lao.
Lao is a tonal language with six tones in the Vientiane dialect: low, mid, high, rising, high falling, and low falling. Meanings are dependent on the tone, so try not to inflect your sentences; in particular, questions should be pronounced as flat statements, without the rising intonation ("...yes?") typical to English questions.
The script used to write Lao has the same Brahmic base as Thai and Khmer, and Thai readers will be able to figure out most of it. The Lao written language is essentially alphabetic and, thanks to extensive post-revolutionary meddling, now considerably more phonetic than Thai or Khmer. Still, there are 30 consonants, 15 vowel symbols plus 4 tone marks to learn, and the Lao also share the Thai aversion to spaces between words. Lao remains a bit of challenge to pick up, even though it is usually considered easier to learn than Thai.
Lao romanization is bedeviled by the incompatibility between French and English pronunciation. Most older transliterations are French-based, while newer ones are English-based. The French-style "Vientiane", for example, is more accurately spelled "Wiang Chan" in English. Wikitravel uses a modern English-based orthography modeled on the Thai system, but the French transliterations have been noted below when appropriate.
~Info courtesy of Wikitravel~
Lao is a tonal language with six tones in the Vientiane dialect: low, mid, high, rising, high falling, and low falling. Meanings are dependent on the tone, so try not to inflect your sentences; in particular, questions should be pronounced as flat statements, without the rising intonation ("...yes?") typical to English questions.
The script used to write Lao has the same Brahmic base as Thai and Khmer, and Thai readers will be able to figure out most of it. The Lao written language is essentially alphabetic and, thanks to extensive post-revolutionary meddling, now considerably more phonetic than Thai or Khmer. Still, there are 30 consonants, 15 vowel symbols plus 4 tone marks to learn, and the Lao also share the Thai aversion to spaces between words. Lao remains a bit of challenge to pick up, even though it is usually considered easier to learn than Thai.
Lao romanization is bedeviled by the incompatibility between French and English pronunciation. Most older transliterations are French-based, while newer ones are English-based. The French-style "Vientiane", for example, is more accurately spelled "Wiang Chan" in English. Wikitravel uses a modern English-based orthography modeled on the Thai system, but the French transliterations have been noted below when appropriate.
~Info courtesy of Wikitravel~
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