Vientiane, Laos
Trip Start
Dec 11, 2008
1
11
14
Trip End
Mar 06, 2009
Vientiane,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Sunday, January 11, 2009
There is a ton of history here, and we spent one day peddling around on our push bikes to see some of the sites. We made it to see Vientiane's replica of the Arc de Triomphe on our 2nd day. This war memorial was actually constructed in 1969 using concrete which was donated by the U.S. government - although we had different ideas about how it should be used. The intent was to have them build a new airport for our war next door, but apparently they thought a nice new monument would make for better use of the funds. Good for them.
The selection of restaurants to choose from was another great part of Vientiane. The French influence is pretty apparent. We had good food all throughout our stay in Vientiane, and one night in particular stands out. Tom got to experience his first meat fondue dinner at The Caves restaurant. This dinner is an old favorite for Debbie. It was the reward meal for good grades growing up. Delicious! Our favorite breakfast spot was right across the street from the guest house - La Fontaine. They served amazing omlettes, fresh breads, and delicious fruit.
On our 3rd day, we saw Pha That Luang, also known as "The Great Stupa" in Laos and has become a symbol of Lao nationalism. After some site seeing, we did a little shopping. Debbie replaced her purse, and because we were quickly discovering that we were going to be needing some more warm clothes, we each got another pair of pants. It's amazingly cheap to eat, drink, shop, site see, etc.- it's great.
That evening, we went bowling at the L.B.C. - Lao Bowling Center. It was something different to do, and good fun as well! After three games and a blistered thumb for Tom, we decided to check out some live music at a local club just down the street. The band was pretty good and apparently they were performing some of the top Lao pop songs, because we heard many of them on the radio again and again throughout the rest of our stay in the country.
On our final day, we boarded a "VIP" bus for the "4 hour" trip north to Vang Vieng. You sure didn't feel like a Very Important Person on this crowded coach, and it was definitely more than a 4 hour trip! We're learning to expect longer than quoted times for most modes of transportation in South East Asia - we'll get there when we get there.
Comments
Mmmmmm
Fondue sounds great!! Glad to see that you guys are still alive. How did the Purse thing play out? Loving all the pics and the updates.
Love Ya!!
Rachel and Rich