Hey guys - what's with all the dissing of Vientiane (the capital city of Laos)? Pretty much everyone we talked to before we got here told us "Oh only stay there one night, it sucks" or something equally off-putting. 

But actually, it's quite quaint here. Very French - baguettes everywhere, and some French architecture to boot. We went to see the famous Buddha Park yesterday, which is a bunch of Hindu and Buddhist statues all thrown together into a piece of land about 50 minutes outside of the city. It was eccentric and fun, but there was not nearly enough wind to make a stay of longer than 15 minutes bearable. It's pretty damn hot here.

There is also a huge Japanese influence here. I've seen foods here that I haven't seen since my time in Japan - takoyaki, okonomiyaki...I'm like, um, are we actually in Laos or Japan? Plus the fashion is very Japanese. Unfortunately, the accommodation is far from stellar - we're paying double the price for a room that is nowhere near as nice as the places we stayed at in Luang Prabang or Vang Vieng (though, admittedly, we were spoiled there).

Wish I had some pictures for you, but still working on replacing my camera. Might not be until Phnom Pehn so at least I have Amy's camera in the meantime. But she's sleeping right now which is why there are no pics.

Today we are headed to Pakxe via the nightbus. Get this - the nightbus has actual beds!! I was so excited when I heard this. Up until this point, nightbuses have been regular buses with slightly more comfortable seats that recline about 45 degrees. The travel time to Pakxe is 10 hours - we get in at 6am. Oh joy.

There's not meant to be much to see in Pakxe itself, but it's a gateway to the Bolaven Plateau, Wat Phou (Khmer ruins, World Heritage site), and the 4000 islands - all of which we are very excited about. 

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Last Updated ( Monday, 19 October 2009 03:08 )