So before I even really start this post, I want to own up to something. If it is not already clear, it should be: I am no history or geography expert. A year ago, I’m pretty sure I could not have named Vientiane as the capital of Laos or labeled Laos on a blank world map.
Rich could have and that is one of many reasons that he does ALL of the planning. I show up, I learn, I frequently have my mind blown. Having this opportunity is one of the greatest gifts of my life.
All that to say, I had no idea what to expect in Laos, and my impressions ended up being overwhelmingly lovely. We liked Cambodia, but in the end, we may have ended up liking Laos better.
Day 80: Travel from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Vientiane, Laos
Bangkok is really the geographical hub of Southeast Asia. We flew from Siem Reap to Bangkok, then from Bangkok to Vientiane. We landed in Vientiane pretty late in the evening but luckily our hotel arranged an airport pick up for us. It was a pretty straight forward travel day (read: the opposite of traveling in Sicily).
In Vientiane, we stayed at a hotel that Rich had found online. The hotel was fine, but it didn’t quite live up to the online pictures or reviews. Our impression was that Vientiane may not experience quite the tourism boom of some of the other cities we had visited (Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Chiang Mai) and so the bar just wasn’t quite as high. Still, no horror stories– the space was just a little banged up.
Day 81: Checking Out the Sites of Vientiane
Despite the hotel being a bit mediocre, as a city, Vientiane felt much more modern in comparison to Cambodia and much of Vietnam. Vientiane had large paved roads filled with more cars than motorbikes and lots of restaurants and coffee shops. The sidewalks were clear and easy to navigate!
Pool Time
But first, the pool. After any travel day, we almost always move a little slow. We decided to read by the hotel pool and head out in the afternoon.
Great call because when we arrived we had the pool all to ourselves with the exception of a GIANT UNICORN FLOAT.
This was not my first float rodeo. I also know that my gracefulness has its limits and wisely had Rich hold the float while I climbed in. I enjoyed floating and reading for a bit, then got hot (it’s Southeast Asia), and cooled off by swimming for a few minutes.
Rich: We should probably leave soon, but I think I’ll get in the float first.
Me: Cool (gets out camera).
Rich’s version of the following events is that he helped me get in the float, so I should have offered to get out of my lounger to help him do the same.
My version: I have never seen a man approach a situation more confidently than I watched my husband approach that giant adorable unicorn. It was pure “hold my beer” territory.
You have to see how this is going to end.
Rich confidently plops his body down on the back of the unicorn. He and the unicorn immediately flip over backwards, and he lands upside down underwater. If you are not following us on Instagram, heck, if you are not even on Instagram, watching the video of Rich and his unicorn friend flip over will make it worth your while to change that NOW.
The Patuxai War Memorial
Ironically, despite resembling the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Patuxai War Memorial celebrates Laos gaining independence from France in 1949.
The arch stands at the end of a long boulevard extending from the presidential palace. A large and beautiful park surrounds the arch. For less than $1, you can climb the stairs to the top for a nice view of Vientiane.
The monument’s five towers represent the five Buddhist principles of thoughtful amiability, flexibility, honesty, honor, and prosperity.
I am struck by the principles of thoughtful amiability and flexibility. In the United States, Would being amiable would make it into the top fifty American values in 2018? Being kind, gentle, or pleasant can be interpreted as being weak. In Southeast Asia, losing your temper is not just rude– it’s an affront to national and religious values.
The Patuxai Park was an easy walk from our hotel and a really beautiful space. We enjoyed our time there.
The Pha That Luang
The Pha That Luang is a very large gold-covered Buddhist stupa that serves as a national symbol of Laos. Several other large temples surround the stupa. We found the whole area really breath taking.
Coffee at the Amazon Cafe
So Laos is hot, and when we finished at the Pha That Luang, we needed a drink. Rich and I ducked into an Amazon Cafe, a Starbucks equivalent of Southeast Asia.
Inside, we could have been in America, but our favorite part was a table of high school aged students still in their school uniforms working on what looked like pretty hard math homework on their laptops.
These kids were focused, had Excel up to enter data, and kept swinging around the table to share ideas with one other. Rich and I are educators. I really hope this doesn’t sound creepy, but watching kids really engaged and grappling with hard content is like watching babies sleep for me. It is super fulfilling even if I don’t know the kids and didn’t assign the work– rigor looks the same worldwide.
Pizza for Dinner
In Laos, we ate pizza at Pomodoro Pizzeria, an Italian restaurant run by a gentleman originally from Pakistan. It was delicious, and if that’s not globalism, I don’t know what is. The end.
Day 82: Visiting the Buddha Park Outside of Vientiane
Xieng Khuan, unofficially known as the Buddha Park, is a beautiful space about 45 minutes outside of Vientiane filled with more than two hundred religious statues.
We LOVED exploring this park and looking at all of the statues which were full of personality. The park was really beautiful and only moderately crowded while we were there so we felt like we could wander at our own pace and explore.
You could even climb up on one of the tallest structures to get a view of the whole space.
We enjoyed homemade coconut ice cream at the end of the tour. One of my biggest regrets of the whole trip may be the spoonful that slid off my spoon and onto the ground! The ice cream was so delicious and hit. the. spot.
Broad Generalization and Reflections Comparing Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam
I refer you back you to the intro to this post in which I readily admit to being no sort of expert. This is just my own personal impression: Vientiane struck us as having greater infrastructure and generally being more commercially developed than many parts of Cambodia and Vietnam we visited. The kids in the coffee shop were not the only school kids we observed. There were schools and students in uniforms everywhere.
And what I wonder is this: Is what we observed Laos’s fortune of not facing the national tragedies of war and genocide that Vietnam and Cambodia faced? Immediate effects of national tragedies show themselves easily. Does Laos provide a quick juxtaposition for the wealth, comforts, and educational system Vietnam and Cambodia might have experienced if not for the horrors faced in the 1960’s and 1970’s? Were we watching long term effects play out?
More from Laos coming soon! Beautiful Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.