In order to get my work permit in Thailand I had to do a two day visa run to Vientiane, Laos, at the Thai embassy. On Wednesday night I caught an overnight bus to the border and spent the morning at the embassy getting all my paper work in order, etc. Then I had to wait until it was processed Friday afternoon so I spent Thursday afternoon and Friday morning exploring the smallest capital city I have ever seen. Vientianne has 3 or 4 main roads that make up the city that lies along the bank of Mekong River, that was once ruled by France so there are again many French influences in the food and architecture like Vietnam. I was able to go to the National Museum, that documented the war between French and Laos in the early 1900's and then the brutality that the Americans caused the Laos people between during the Vietnam war. The country is only about 25 years old so the poverty still remains from the warfare but it appears they are starting to develop. I went to see a the Paruxai, which was built in 1969 to commemorate for those who had fought in the revolutionary war (left pic above). The Pha That Luang is symbolically the country's national monument that displays the Buddhist religion and the sovereignty of the country (middle pic above). I also went to several different Wats that still remain standing following the wars. The damage is evident, but the people are proudly trying to preserve each of them. The presidential palace and the Tomb of the Unknown soldiers were also quick stops in the town to see!
Unfortunately, Vientiane is really not the place to go in Laos to get the true Laos experience. The mountains in the north and the caves and rivers in the central are really what is captivating about Laos or so I have heard, but I didn't have the time to see them! They are on my things to do list next trip to Southeast Asia!
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