We are currently in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, which is completely different to Luang Prabang but not in a bad way. Although it too has an Asian-French feel to it and the customary Wats and markets that we become accustom to visiting, it is more developed with a lot more infrastructure in place. The French connection comes from the start of the nineteenth century when Laos became a French protectorate, and is clearly evident from the long streets (still called avenues, boulevards and rues) lined with trees, as well as their version of the Arc de Triomphe (a big block of concrete by their own admission!). Unlike the capitals of its neighbouring countries, Vientiane has a certain calmness about it and a laid-back culture. In Vietnam and Cambodia we were surrounded by taxi drivers before
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