Hot Spot
I had experienced a brief flash of irritation, thinking that for $80 a night, one might reasonably expect a television. But I quickly figured that, free of the insidious temptations of the idiot box, I would spend my time in the hotel far more productively: drinking beer on the bougainvillaea-draped patio, listening to the chirps of the wriggling geckos on the walls, and watching the world go by. And should I grow weary of my tropical tranquility, the downstairs bar beckoned. Complete with dusty wickerwork chairs, an ancient gramophone and a scattering of pith helmets, it looks straight out of a Graham Greene novel.
The government-run hotel—on Thanon Phothisalat, Ban Wat That, tel: (856-71) 212-200 for reservations—renovated under French supervision in 1995, was once the official residence of the late Prince Souvanna Phouma (the end "a" was apparently dropped from the hotel's name at the government's insistence, so as not to "evoke the monarchy"). During the political storms that wracked the country before the communist takeover in 1975, Souvanna Phouma served twice, albeit briefly, as Prime Minister. He was also, in the late 1950s, Laos' ambassador to France.
Knowing that I was sleeping in the prince's old bedroom, where he spent his twilight years reliving old glories and plotting who knows what intrigues under the watchful eye of the government, added to the Souvannaphoum's mildewy colonial charm. As did the chilled bottles of Beer Lao served up by the smiling bellboy.
Most Popular »
- How Bad Are Auto Sales? Ten Questions and Answers
- Why Sarah Palin Quit as Governor
- Why Obama's Afghan War Is Different
- The Challenge That Awaits Obama in Moscow
- When Benedict Meets Barack
- How Medicated Was Michael Jackson?
- Is There Hope for the American Marriage?
- Afterbirth: It's What's For Dinner
- Searching for Palin's 'Hot Photos'
- What Michael Jackson Did on His Last Day
- Afterbirth: It's What's For Dinner
- How Bad Are Auto Sales? Ten Questions and Answers
- Is There Hope for the American Marriage?
- Why Obama's Afghan War Is Different
- Why Legalizing Marijuana Makes Sense
- Why We Have Affairs And Why Not to Tell
- When Benedict Meets Barack
- How Medicated Was Michael Jackson?
- Why Sarah Palin Quit as Governor
- Trying Times for Russia's Nesting Dolls







RSS