Vientianne, Laos

I had a business trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last week. Since the flight between Phnom Penh and Hanoi stops in Vientianne, Laos, I decided to stop there to see what the place is like. Also, my good friend, Ralph, was also going to stop there for a few days on his travel around SE Asia.
Laos is an interesting country. After years of war, it is finally settling down to focus on development. Like Vietnam and Cambodia, it is now trying to catch up economically with the rest of the world. A lot of aid money from the World Bank, IMF, and other NGOs' is helping in its development.

Vientianne is the capital of Laos. It is a relatively small city, compared to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Phnom Penh. I'd say it's around the size of a Glendale, Arizona, for those of my friends who live in Arizona. It's population is only about 200-300,000. The city lies next to the Mekong River, which is like the Mississipi River, for SE Asia. The people here are quite laid back. The food here is okay, a little like Thai food. Laotians like a lot of sticky (or glutinous) rice.

One thing you notice a lot in Vientianne is the abundance of Buddhist temples or structures. The first picture on the left is that of Pha That Luang, which is the most important national monument in Laos and a symbol of both the Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty.
The next picture on the left is a temple next to Pha That Luang.
The third picture is that of Patuxal, which looks like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. You can climb to the top and have a great view of the city.

If there are a lot of Buddhist temples, there must be a lot of Buddhist monks. I saw three of them walking along the street and grab them to pose with me. These monks are quite young, probably in their early teens. I understand that Laotians join the monastery so that they can have a real education. It's like going to school... they learn all the regular subjects like science, math and English. Unlike the priesthood, you don't sign up for life. Some enter the monastery for 6 months, a year or a few years.


Next on the left, you see a stupa. I don't know what it's called but it's next to the US Embassy. A stupa is a Buddhist religious monument that is supposed to contain Buddhist relics. They are very common in Buddhist countries and can take many slightly different forms. Usually it's a tall pointed structure with some kind of mound at the bottom.





This trip was quiet and relaxing. We walked around the city a lot just watching the people, the temples, and the shops. We also saw many foreigners; some working here and some travelling. You can get a room in a guest house for as little as $5 a night. Many backpackers like to stop here because it's cheap and not as crowded as in places like Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City.
One place I like to visit in the future is Luang Prabang, about a 10-hour bus ride from Vientianne. Luang Prabang is Laos' most popular tourist spot and is on UNESCO's World Heritage list, which means its historical architecture is protected.