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Nita Guesthouse: The Burglary Event

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  • 19 Saylom Road
     Vientiane, Laos
    +856 (21) 21 3986
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SeenThat
SeenThat
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3 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Mixok Guesthouse: Escaping a Tsunami

  • October 9, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by SeenThat from Tel Aviv, Israel
Following the burglary event described in my Nita Guesthouse entry, I moved to Mixok Guesthouse for a few days. The choice was logical since in such an open environment it would be difficult for the thieves to approach my belongings again: there was always a watchful crowd present.

Mixok Guesthouse is a hybrid establishment; showing an extraordinary elasticity the place combines two dormitory rooms with a few private quarters hanging from the walls at curious angles and accessible through shaky wood stairs.

The Qualifying Dilemma

While trying to qualify Mixok, I found myself contemplating a complex dilemma. How should I judge a place purposely positioning itself at the market's bottom? Would the owners be pleased would I say it is the worst guesthouse in Vientiane? Would that increase its value and attraction towards potential customers? In a world where values went awry, these turned out being delicious topics for a lengthy meditation in the dark, while waiting for the redeeming morning.

The Qualification

If judged within its humble category, Mixok offers a good value. The dormitory was less crowded than expected and the personal space larger. As often happens within crowded public spaces, most guests just ignored the others and pseudo-privacy was thus achieved. The toilets were basic and functional with the expected electric heater for the shower's water. They had bicycles and motorcycles for rent and an internet kiosk next to the reception.

The Computer

The receptionist's computer at Mixok expects to be fed with details like where did the guest arrive from and to where he plans leaving. As explained in my entry about the Laotian immigrations, the details are collected and seriously checked before the exit stamp is applied to the passport.

The Lobby

The lobby was the liveliest place in the establishment; there, travelers exchanged tips and wild stories. I was told how the Jarro people in the Andaman Islands escaped the last tsunami, while inconspicuously being interrogated about my traveling plans. While giving random answers, I stored the valuable information gained. Running uphill whenever birds and animals do the same became my second nature since then. Following the trend, I got another fabulous free tip. While leaving the guesthouse, a fellow traveler cut me short and without any provocation or hint from my side, he began explaining me how to reach one of those areas in Laos closed for tourists due to armed civil conflicts. After thanking him profusely, I left Vientiane in a different, quasi-random direction.

The Added Value

These small, comical encounters are typical of places like Mixok and practically non-existent in luxury hotels. For a while - a night or two - they justify giving up commodity and luxury. That's the stuff dreams are build of.

From journal Vientiane Vits: A Forced Alliteration

Editor Pick

Nita Guesthouse: The Burglary Event

  • September 7, 2007
  • Rated 1 of 5 by SeenThat from Tel Aviv, Israel
Nita Guesthouse: The Burglary Event


For a while, Nita was my favorite guesthouse while in Vientiane. It had a superb location and offered extraordinarily pleasant rooms, with huge windows, plenty of air and light. However, it had a dark, hidden side as well.

Location

Located in a corner structure on Saylom Road, Nita is near the Morning Market and at walking distance from the bus terminal, the Mekong River promenade and most of downtown attractions.

Structure

The guesthouse is placed within a beautiful three-story building which originally was a traditional teakwood house. It has been re-modeled and now features several rooms with bathrooms attached. The rooms have big windows and pleasant balconies attached to the fire stairs; the last seemed to be a good idea at first sight.

Price

A basic room costs five dollars per night, a double one costs eleven; additional services include television and internet in the lobby.

The Burglary

In my last morning there, I left early for a coffee at the nearby Morning Market. Halfway to there, I remembered to have left behind the empty CD's I needed for burning my last batch of pictures.

I returned to the guesthouse and found a strange sight at the lobby. A westerner was sitting at the lobby, intently watching the door; he took a look at me, picked up a cellular phone and quietly said something into it. That piece of equipment was highly unusual in Laos; most tourists here are seeking for peace of mind and not for ways of quickly reaching their brokers.

Before I could completely analyze the sight, I found myself running up to the third floor with all my strength. Breathless, I entered the room and found the wide window leading to the fire stairs open. My belongings were scattered all around.

A thorough check showed me I arrived before the thieves managed to cause any arm. The receptionist claimed no knowledge of the event; she claimed the foreigner at the lobby was unknown to her. In any case by the time I returned to the lobby he was already gone and there was nothing I could do.

I have no way of knowing if the thieves were working independently or have coordinated the event with the receptionist; what was pretty clear was that the attractive setup of the place was being used for their dark plans. I never returned there and learned a new way of analyzing hotel rooms' attractiveness.

From journal Vientiane: The Human Angle

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