leaving laos

that dum stupa

Leaving Vientiane tomorrow so I thought I'd throw up a few pix before I go.

Two days was more than enough for what is in reality a fairly small city. The centre consists really of just a couple of major thoroughfares and their side streets. Many of the guest houses and budget style hotels are clustered around a few of these side streets.

The main sights appear to consist of several temples, a museum or two and a walk along a not-particularly-inspiring stretch of the Mekong.

But it has some great cafes and patisseries. Any longer here and I could have some serious weight issues to deal with.


mood? seriously happy!

The twelve hour bus trip to get here wasn't too bad. It was a large comfortable coach style but unfortunately the air-con couldn't be turned off. While we were high up in the mountains where it was cold it made it uncomfortable and this bit lasted about 9 hours. Thankfully the locals (everyone of the bus except me) managed to keep their lunches down.

Apart from a breakdown and about 12 pee stops (where everyone leaps from their seats and rushes outside and squats or unzips according to gender right around the bus) it was fairly uneventful. At one of the roadside stops people from nearby shops ran up to the side of the bus offering all manner of snacks. A young lady thrust a handful of various meats baked between skewers at me - one of which was most definitely rat!

The incessant and relentless rain of the last few days has abated and today the sun actually appeared and the temperature has risen. I've 'done' the sights I wanted to so it's just a matter of killing time with a few double expressos and pastries until I get the morning bus over the Mekong and back into Thailand.

One of the higlights of Vientiane was finding THE best vegetarian restaurant in Laos (if not S.E.Asia!!). Just in the adjacent street to my hotel, the Cuisine D'Or had such tasty food I have had all of my lunches and dinners there. The only disappointment is I am not here long enough to try all the dishes. Each meal I tried a different dish and every one was as great as the previous. And it's prices were competitive with the dodgy hole in the wall eateries I had been going too.


haw pha kaew temple


bronze from above temple


another