Vientiane day 1

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Got up and had a wonder around to see if I could find another guest house which was a bit livelier and didnt have a building site outside of it.

Ended up finding a room in the first place I tried yesturday (nice family riun place by the river). So I checked in before collecting my stuff from the other place.

I wondered up to the plaza hotel where there was a Vietnam airways office (to purchase a ticket for Cambodia) but being sunday it was closed. So I wondered down to the Talet Sao Market, which is a huge multistory maze of a market. Had a look round there and purchased myself another t-shirt. They are also in the middle of extending the market, so the lonely planet says. What it doesnt state that the extension is a large 3 storey airconditioned shopping mall! Quite an upgrade.

From outside the market I could see the Lao version of the Arc de Triomphe. Mainly all concrete donated by the americans for a new runway.

I also wondered down to check out the home of Lao goverment (which is still very communist) which is the presidential palace.

Time see'd to fly by today and considering I didnt have much else to do I started to head back to guest house and to find an internet cafe. On the way I stoped off at a french style cafe for a chocolate chip cookie and the most expensive coke ive bought outside of europe. Sat there and read the paper for some time.

Afterwards I found an internet place then headed back to take a shower.

Later went out for dinner at a very expensive joint, but quite nice.

Then wondered around the place (with an icecream) which was more dead then a graveyard.

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