Wednesday, March 25 – Vientiane

I was still feeling a little under the weather this morning. I skipped breakfast, but was doing well enough to take on some Journal work by midday.

(I will say, I’m in a nice hotel room while I recover, so there’s that!)

By evening I was hungry and ready to get out for a bite. I ventured back to the grocery store where I picked up the chicken sub a few days ago.

On the way to the store I passed by the Night Food Market.

I went with the potstickers. Shocking, I know! 45k LAK = 2.15 USD.

They were good, but I think I prefer the Chiang Mai version.

On the way back to the hotel, this ice cream shop caught my eye.

Chocolate Oreo Sundae please! 18k LAK = 85 cents.

Yep!

Thursday, March 26 – Vientiane

There are two major landmarks in Vientiane that I have not yet visited. My objective is to check them off the list today.

Have I somehow been transported to the Champs-Élysées?

Is that the Arc de Triomphe?

Hahaha. Nope! This is Patuxai.

Patuxai, meaning Victory Gate or Gate of Triumph, is a war monument built between 1957 and 1968. It was dedicated to those who fought in World War II and the Independence War from France in 1949.

Access to the top was via a 30k fee (1.50 USD). Here I’m looking southwest, back towards the avenue from which I arrived. Way down at the very end is the Presidential Palace.

The view to the northeast.

To the southeast is the Laos Cabinet Building.

And to the northwest is the Prime Minister’s Office.

About a 20 minute walk from Patuxai is Pha That Luang.

Pha That Luang is a gold-covered stupa that was first erected in the 3rd century. It has undergone many reconstructions since, the most recent being in the 1930s. It is generally regarded as the most important national monument in Laos, as well as a national symbol.

The area around the stupa is gated, to keep out traffic. The entrance fee to the compound is 30k LAK.

The walls surrounding the stupa are roughly 280 feet long on each side and contain ancient Lao and Khmer sculptures.

This is a statue of King Jayavarman VII, which dates to the late 12th or early 13th century.

Surrounding the stupa, and part of the Pha That Luang complex, are a few temples. This is Wat That Luang Neua.

Ho Thammasapha, a Buddhist Conference Hall

I’m ready for a break (from the heat!)! This ice cream stand has my attention.

Coconut ice cream bar. Delicious! 20k LAK (1 USD).

(And a cleaver method incorporated to catch the melting ice cream!)

This reclining Buddha is part of Wat That Luang Tai.

The walk back to the hotel was going to take about an hour. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem. But, I was too hot, too tired, and maybe still a little ill (or so I told myself!). And, conveniently, there happened to be a tuk tuk looking for a fare as I walked out of the complex.

I’m on it! 50k LAK fare (2.35 USD).

Today’s drink in the hotel lobby was Butterfly Pea Juice (same as what was served on the Luang Prabang sunset cruise).

I wasn’t very hungry for dinner, so just stepped out to the night market to get a pineapple/passion fruit smoothie. This is part of the night market just outside of my hotel, along the river.

(The lights in the sky aren’t UFOs; just reflections in my camera lens!)

There is also a little amusement park nearby.

Friday, March 27 – Vientiane

This is my last full day in Vientiane, and I’m going to keep it kind of low key. I do have one place I want to check out though…

…when reading through the menu at Khaiphaen in Luang Prabang, I noticed that they have a sister restaurant here in Vientiane. And it’s only a 20 minute walk from my hotel. Let’s go!

The one drawback is that Makphet is only open until 3pm. So, I had a light breakfast and a late lunch today!

The menu is a little different than Khaiphaen. I chose the Grilled Fish with Coconut and Lime Dressing.

And, yes, a smoothie!

Makphet is a little more rustic than Khaiphaen.

It wasn’t very busy. Only one other couple was here during my meal.

It was very good! Total cost: 105k LAK = 5 USD.

I’d say I prefer Khaiphaen; mainly because the restaurant is nicer…and they have the Pineapple Passion Fruit Smoothie!

As I walked back to the hotel, I passed by the grocery store (D * MART) where I’ve had a couple dinners previously (chicken sub and potstickers).

Laos Facts for Travelers

• Vehicles operate on the right side of the road (like in the US). Laos drives on the right because it was once a protectorate of the French Colonial Empire (as part of French Indochina). While Thailand drives on the left primarily because of its close historical and economic ties with the British Empire.
• The official and primary language spoken in Laos is Lao. French and English are also used in business/tourism. Most of the people I interacted with here in Luang Prang and Vientiane spoke at least a little English.
• Just like in Thailand, Laos uses a hybrid electrical outlet that can accommodate 4 different types of plugs, including the U.S. style. However, only 2-prong U.S. plugs fit, so an adapter is required for 3-prong devices.
• The tap water here should not be consumed by foreigners. Both of my hotels provided complimentary drinking water.

Travel Note: I’ve heard this country’s name pronounced both Laos and Lao. According to the locals I’ve spoken with, Laos is correct. Lao is used when describing an aspect of the country, such as Lao people, Lao cuisine, etc.

I’ve accumulated a few more examples since my last banknote picture.

Saturday, March 28 – Transit from Vientiane to Chiang Mai

I’m flying back to Chiang Mai this afternoon. I know what you’re thinking: Why did you go from Chiang Mai to Laos, and then go back again? The short answer? Because I’m an idiot!

The long answer? Because I didn’t plan this very well. After booking my trip to Thailand, I decided I wanted to follow that by going to Laos, so I booked that too. Well, then I got to thinking about where I would go next. Japan was on my mind, though due to various reasons, spending the remaining 5 weeks of my trip there seemed a little long (partly due to cost).

So I then started looking at places from which it would be convenient (cost & schedule) to fly to Tokyo. Manila came up. Ho Chi Minh City too. I considered them, but I’ve already been to both, and decided to pass on a return at this time. Surprisingly though, Chiang Mai was also a place that provided a relatively efficient method of Tokyo transit. And I obviously like it there. And it’s inexpensive (which you know I like!). So, there you go…Chiang Mai, here I come!

I had a 2pm flight on Thai Airways, arriving in Chiang Mai via a connection in Bangkok.

The Vientiane airport isn’t very big.

(My taxi ride from the hotel cost 120k LAK, less than 6 USD)

The international check-in area.

(Although I had a one-way ticket to Thailand, the Thai Airways ticket agent did not ask me whether I had a return or onward ticket. That’s likely because I had to submit an online Thailand Arrival Card prior to boarding the plane. Included in the required information for the submittal was my Thailand departure information.)

The departure lounge.

The flight to Bangkok took one hour, was on an A320 (3×3 seating), and was full. And we even go a snack on the flight (chicken sandwich)!

I booked this trip knowing that I’d have to go through immigration in Bangkok before continuing on to Chiang Mai. I wasn’t sure how ugly that would be, so included a 4 hour layover. Well, it turns out the Bangkok airport has a separate immigration processing area for those who are transferring to a domestic connection. And there was zero wait time! Oh well, I had some reading to do…

And just like the flight to Bangkok, the flight to Chiang Mai took one hour, was on an A320, was full, and provided us with a snack (chicken wrap).

(The cost of the one-way ticket was 245 USD. A little pricey, but like the flight from Thailand to Laos, I think there are departure and/or arrival taxes included in the fare. I should point out that I did have low-cost airline options (AirAsia, Vietjet, etc.), but chose to go with a more traditional carrier.)

After a 150 THB (5 USD) taxi fare, I arrived at my Chiang Mai accommodation.

And I’m back at the Astra Condos, booked through Airbnb.

This time I’m in building A though, with the better pool.

I’ll be here for 15 nights.

38 USD/night.

The final 3 weeks of my trip will be in Japan, and I know it’s going to be rather hectic. My plan for here in Chiang Mai is therefore kind of laid back. As a result, I’ll probably only be posting Journal Entries when I do something worth reading about, and I’m not sure how often that will be.

(And Worth Reading About does not include my having potstickers and a pineapple/orange smoothie for dinner!)