Vientiane, the capital of Laos

I have the luck to visit Vientiane for 3 times in the past. It was partly of my curiosity and partly as the visa rules of Thailand. Not go to the matter, but they are a bit strange. But whatever.

All times I chose to take the night bus, which is not the most comfortable way to sleep, but since it takes around 12 hours the trip from Bangkok's Morchit bus station to Nong Khai, this way at least i didn't waste the day for traveling. From Nong Khai it is a few kilometers tuk-tuk ride to the Friendship Bridge, what connects Thailand and Laos over the Mekong river.

I am being lazy ( sometimes) I always get visa at arrival on the Lao side, then take another tuk-tuk to Vientiane.

Though Vientiane is the capital of Laos, after Bangkok, it seems a small town, and actually it is in comparison. I find it refreshing, that actually the air is better, there is no continuous traffic jams, and the whole place seems more relaxed, including the people as well. Vientiane didn't get commercialized as some other places of the World, though probably this will change as well in the future.

Always stay in some small guesthouse, close to the main place, the market/bus station, and Patuxai, the Victory Gate, in the middle of a small park. It is one religious style building, though in a different way, as it serves as a great lookout also, if you climb up to the 7th story, and there is numerous small shops along the staircase. The view is great, and can really see far, there is not many building to obstruct your view. The city has few tall buildings, and even those are less then 10 stories high I guess.

There is many things to visit, but most places to see in Vientiane are also connected to religion, just in the neighbor Thailand.

They have their Haw Pha Kaew Temple, where they once displayed that Emerald Buddha statue that is in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew now. The Lao took that from Thai one time, but later Thai got it back. Now the building not function much as a temple anymore, though it is still nice, and has a nice garden as well.

And there is Laos symbol, and probably their most important religious monument, Pha That Luang.
Pha That Luang is a 3 layered stupa, all golden, really look beautiful in the sunshine.
You can get into the inner layers, though not into the stupa itself, and it isn't a real building. Stupas built to house religious relics or bones.
They also feature Pha That Luang on their banknotes, I should have a little more about that in a separate post.



Finally, Laos brings back some little memories from my childhood, as my home country used to be communist until I was 14. Laos is still communist, so, you can see the kids in pioneer school uniforms some place, with blue, or red scarf/tie?, whatever is the right word for it, in the neck.
Deja vu, I used to have like that as a child too.