Our "one night in Bangkok" was surreal. Arrived late at night….and ate delicious fried rice made by the “hotel clerk” at midnight. On the drive to the airport in the morning we saw army/police setting up barracades and laying their semi-automatic rifles on tables. We could also see the turmoil downtown…black smoke billowing into the air from the burning tires. We departed Bangkok on the day that the army descended upon the red shirts. Time to get out!
We flew to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Considered the “big city”, it was the only place we could fly to in the morning from Bangkok. Our hotel was considered “mid-range”…we paid $42/night….but you could pay as little as $2/night. We opted for the A/C and option of hot water (although at a real-feel temp of about 104 degrees outside..it wasn’t really needed..but nice for washing hands.)
The view from our hotel…the Mekong River. On the other side is Thailand. Supposedly in the wet season the river actually stretches all the way across….but all we could see was sand and far off water. In the evenings everyone gathers at riverfront bars and beer gardens to drink Beer Lao and watch the sunset.
Carts line the street selling food …the fruit fascinates me. We ate rambutan…which is round and covered with spines. It looks like a lychee inside, but tastes like a grape.
We quickly learned to take tuk-tuks around town. Everything is within walking distance…but only if you like being drenched in sweat and enjoy heat stroke. The fun part is bartering the price. It’s a dilemma….when you do the math, they are only asking for around $2…however you know as a tourist they are way overinflating the usual price. We tried our best to determine what was fair.
Patuxai…which is reminiscent of the Arc deTriomphe in Paris. There is a big French influence in this city. It was built in the 1960’s with US-purchased cement intended for a new airport. We climbed to the top to enjoy the view.
Had to include one meal! Spicy green papaya salad (too spicy!) salad rolls and big bottles of Beer Lao. Laos is not known for it’s cuisine…but we’ve enjoyed trying things.
Try crossing this street! The traffic laws are “everyone go everywhere”.
The next morning we did another walking tour. Started at a huge market. There is a tent full of goldsmiths….here is one melting down some gold. Incredibly hot inside.
A lady selling…um….well…not really sure…dried things...
The most dangerous part of Laos is the potholes….especially if you are walking and reading Lonely Planet at the same time!
We viewed some remarkable Wats (or temples)..with very elaborate colors and designs. It was not all Wats and Beer Lao. We spent many hot, sweaty hours getting to the bank (Laos uses Kip, Thai Baht AND US dollars), the hospital (for malaria meds we were supposed to purchase in Bangkok) the cell phone store (to get SIM cards) and to the Vietnam Embassy (our visa's expired after we came home early).
Then there were the Wat in dire need of a facelift. This is Wat Si Saket, one of Vientiane’s oldest surviving temples. They were working on a remodel…note the men up on the tippy top of the roof. Not a fun job. Next up is Vang Vieng…on a rickety slow crowded bus as I write this. Gooood times! ;)
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