Day 21: Vientiane (Thursday, July 17)

Our lone day in Vientiane was a busy one… we started with a tuk tuk ride up to Phra That Luang – pretty much the national symbol of Laos. The stupa is spectacular, and it definitely feels like ay visit to Laos is incomplete until you make it here. The stupa is surrounded by several temples, as well, which are quite beautiful in their own right. We walked around in the light rain and really enjoyed the area. There were several large busloads of tourists there, but it was big enough that we didn’t feel crowded.

Next, we had our tuk tuk driver take to back down to Patuxay – aka, the Victory Monument. It sure looks like the Arc de Triomphe, but the top is completely done in Lao stylings. There are a couple of fountains out front in the surrounding park area that looked pretty neat, but we only caught the tail end of their performance (only twice daily). We paid the nominal fee to climb to the top to get a good view of the city… really not that impressive. They do manage to cram a bunch of souvenir stands inside on the way up, though.

We ditched the tuk tuk and just walked down to the morning market next. Even though it was nearly lunch time, the market was still bustling. Apparently it’s more of an all-day market, but it keeps the morning market name. There were a couple of giant lanes of stands, as well as, a proper, indoor mall. We walked all around the indoor mall (Viv got a dress and Matt tried to buy shoes, but they weren’t interested in negotiating), and a bit through the outdoor section before we decided we’d had enough market. Then we kept walking to Wat Si Saket. This is the oldest temple in Vientiane because it was the only temple not destroyed when the Siamese invaded. The notable aspects are the incredibly old (and almost faded murals in the sanctuary) and the extensive collection of Buddha figures all around the temple grounds. It was a pretty quick visit, but well worth it.













On our walk around town, we passed by the Presidential Palace and a food cart serving Bread with Pate... Aline, this picture's for you.

After a nice lunch and a leisurely walk through the central touristy part of the city, we returned to our hotel to take a break and relax until dinner. We made reservations at Le Silapa, a classic French restaurant. The wine list was very reasonably priced, especially for the region, and was well stocked with good selections. Our meal selection was a little strange… Viv had all duck (foie gras and duck breast) and Matt had all beef (beef consommé with ginger-lemongrass ravioli and tenderloin). Everything was delicious, especially the foie gras (complete with a sichuan pepper/pineapple jam!!).