Because of my proximity to Laos I have been to Vientiane a lot in the last years, and I can tell you it is a very boring place. I can also tell you I am waiting to go back there again in a couple of months.
You can’t say that Vientiane is a sleepy town. It is not sleepy, it is fully asleep. Snoring. But snoring in a soft kind of way, with a soft relaxing hum and half a smile under closed eyes. It doesn’t really matter when you get to Vientiane it always feels like a Sunday afternoon. You know what, like one of these Sunday afternoons that are so pretty that everyone left town to the beach.
Laos has an interesting background thanks to colonialism and it still has the best baguettes in asia, but it is the new colonialism that will really make an impact, and it seems it speaks Chinese.
The best attribute of this small humble city is the Mekong river which divides between Laos and Thailand, and it is the best place for a nice long walk before dinner, a nice cool wind in your hair, quiet, peaceful , slow walk for an hour or so.
In the last couple of years, the whole area of the riverside has been upgraded to a promenade level , paved, with young trees and benches, a couple of small parks with playing grounds and the central organized area which at night transforms into the night market.
Temples. A lot of temples. A great Italian restaurant. A fountain. Yes, that basically sums up the city. Oh, and a lot of beer and baguettes of course. It is south east Asia after all. |