Sorry, we resisted the temptation for this title all the way through Vietnam, but we had to get it out of our system...
We opted to fly into Laos from Hanoi (best decision ever) and after a short 55 minute flight we landed in Wattay International Airport in Vientiane. The city treated us well over the three short days we spent there. If Vientiane feels like a small town masquerading as a real city it's because at less than a million people it kinda actually is one. One can see the burgeoning signs of a metropolis popping up all around, but the city has maintained enough of its slow-paced atmosphere and charm to appear quaint yet on-the-move. One of the major indicators of development is the ubiquitous presence of construction scaffolding and plastic sheets - a new conference center is being built and the fountain area in the city-center is being renovated to accommodate a new high-end restaurant. However, the clash of the old with new, far from being a depressing march towards lifeless commercial growth, has created some amusing juxtapositions. For example, the newly-built mall complex is still under partial construction and many shops - including large electronics suppliers - have spilled over into the serpentine corridors of the old market building smashed up right next to its newer replacement. This means that you can be browsing digital cameras and LCD TVs only to turn the corner and find a shopkeeper happily passed out inside a stall offering traditional tapestries and other chintzy souvenirs. This rise towards modernism while still clinging on to small-town roots gives Vientiane both the exciting buzz of development as well as nostalgic charm.
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| A Book Stall At the Old Market Building |
We started off everyday in almost the same fashion with a visit to one of several outstanding bakeries/cafes located around the city center. After properly fueling up, we set out to explore the city. On our first day, we took the walk along Lane Xang Avenue over to Patuxai park to check out Laos's victory monument that is shaped kind of like a miniature Arc de Triomphe. The monument is only about 7 or 8 stories high, but since it appears to be the tallest structure in Vientiane, it affords sweeping views of the city and the park surrounding it.
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| Victory Monument At Patuxai |
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| Patuxai Park Seen From Above |
The next day we headed over to the other end of Lane Xang Ave to see the Presidential Palace as well as a temple called Wat Sisaket. The temple was small, but made for a nice quick visit. We then took a local minibus over to Buddha Park, a long field on the Mekong's banks that has been populated with statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities, including a large, reclining Buddha.
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| The Presidential Palace |
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| Wat Sisaket |
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| A Statue At the Wat |
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| The Grounds of Buddha Park |
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| A Reclining Buddha Statue At the Park |
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| Avi Sitting In the Mouth of Hell |
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| Hanging Out With Some of the Deities At the Park |
We wrapped up our final day by renting bikes and riding on over to Pha That Luang - a golden stupa and temple complex that doubles as Laos's most important national monument.
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| The Golden Stupa At Pha That Luang |
Some More Shots Around the Complex
Street Food Update:
We didn't really eat on the street since Vientiane has way too many delicious French, Indian, and other international restaurants, but the food was so good that we had to post some pics:
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| Croissant and Bagel From Scandinavian Bakery |
French Fries, Ratatouille, and Roquefort Pasta
And some of the best Indian food we've ever had. Gobi Manchurian (spicy cauliflower) on the left, eggplant curry on the right, and garlic naan below:
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And Of Course We Found a Chocolate
Pancake/Crepe At the Night Market |
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