Laos - Vientiane I

We landed in Vientiane after dark on Christmas Day, and the landscape looked desolate from the window, and black. With a population of around 6 million, Laos is one of the world's least densely populated countries. Even the biggest cities - Vientiane, Luang Prabang - have the feel of another country's rural towns. The airport in the country's capital was small; we exited the plane from a staircase wheeled to the door. Two government officials sat behind plain, worn wooden desks to collect our passports and money for the visa. Neither wore a smile above their faded, drab olive, one-size-too-small military shirts, the kind of shirt that, when i was a kid, hung in the back of my dad's closet after 4 years of US army service in the 70's. Now they are the standard dress of 3rd world military regiments and low-level communist party officials.

The streets seemed deserted on the short walk to our guest house. Though the country-wide 11 o'clock curfew hadn't fallen yet, few people were about. One local bar still sounded quite lively, and closer to the center of town, just before the city abuts the Mekong, a handful of tourists glided past on bicycles and sipped Beer Lao on cafe patios. The night was quiet.

We booked a room at Saysouly Guesthouse for 90,000 kip (11USD at the time). From outside it was very ordinary looking, but walking into the upstairs interior felt like entering a hotel from the French colonial age. The dark chestnut paneling, deep mattresses, and heavy linens had the feel of old-world luxury and smell of history, something that first-world hotels always try to recreate but always destroy with sanitizers and air fresheners.

We wandered down the neighborhood street towards the river. The air was cool and a touch humid and made me wish I owned linen pants. There was a tex-mex restaurant on the corner with a balcony (I'm a HUGE sucker for balconies) and live music (sucker again) and enchiladas (sensing a trend?). The place was clearly made for us. We ordered two Beer Lao - our first of many - and listened to the solo Lao guitarist's crooning covers of Hotel California and other Western oldies, which were popular with the expat crowd.

Shortly after 11 the bar closed, and we returned to our guesthouse. Though most places observed the curfew religiously, others kept their doors open until 11:30 or sometimes 12, as if to test the limits. After two Beer Lao and a longer-than anticipated day of travel, however, we didn't feel like testing ours, and we were asleep before the city's final door was closed.

Burritos in Busan

There are two excellent places to go for Mexican food in Busan; Fuzzy Navel and Taco Senora.
[Directions at end of post]

Everyone knows Fuzzy Navel and their open-front restaurant/bar - they're right on the main drag next to Haeundae Market. They have a good selection of tacos, burritos, chimichangas, and nachos - you can choose from pork, beef, chicken, or bean, and they're all reasonably priced (under 15,000 won) and delicious. You can order sour cream and guacamole on the side. They also have a fully stocked bar and English-speaking waitstaff who are exceedingly friendly.

Taco Senora is the more elusive of the pair, as a hole-in-the-wall hiding out in an alleyway across from a Chinese restaurant on the other side of Haeundae Market. It is the stuff of legend - many of the post-it notes tacked to the walls of the tiny restaurant tell tall tales of harrying 8 hour bus rides or worse just to get some of Senora's tacos. And they are pretty damn good - for 7,000 won the burritos are packed full of meat (pork, chicken, beef) or beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and sour cream. The lone woman behind the bar makes everything to order while you wait - and if you go during peak hours there's a good chance you'll be waiting. There is only room for 5 people in the taco shack.

Some pics of Senora Taco:


If you're lost here's a map and directions to both:


View Burritos in Busan in a larger map

From the Busan Aquarium in Haeundae, head East along the main road. Take a left at the first main street; 200 yards down the road on the right you'll find Fuzzy Navel. It's hard to miss. To get to Taco Senora you have to walk a bit further, but not much. Pass Fuzzy Navel and hang right under the Haeundae Market archway. Follow the market street to the end and take a left. Turn right down the first alley you come to. Hopefully the customer line doesn't stretch out that far. If you look down the alley from the street you should see the bright red lanterns of the Chinese restaurant directly across the way.