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Published: March 14th 2011
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Wat
The first of many wats I visited. A night of sleeping on a cloud left me feeling refreshed and ready to meet Laos. We met for breakfast at 930am and talked about getting our airline tickets for the 26th to Hanoi. (One hour on a plane seems much better than 30 on a bus.) When we went to inquire about the availability and cost we found that while the cost was acceptable, there were no seats available. None are available for the 26th, 27th, 25th, or 24th. Then the travel agent checked for flights from Vientiane to Hanoi for the same dates. We could get a flight one of those days, but that would mean taking the bus south for an excruciatingly long bus ride. The agent said to come back in a few hours because sometimes tickets are made available throughout the day. We agreed to meet up at 1pm to check back and figure something out.
Feeling discouraged, I went back to the guesthouse to do some laundry, only to find that the water had been shut off. On to the next plan.
I went in search of a bakery I had heard about. As the day goes, I couldn't find it and got
Wat
The first of many wats I visited. lost. Finally, I stopped into a wat. Wats always bring me peace. After sitting for thirty minutes I felt refreshed and calm. I left and almost immediately found the bakery. Feasting on a chocolate croissant and real coffee put me in a divine mood.
I met up with Edward and Tom who said they had good and bad news. The good news is that they found a travel agency with plane tickets from here to Hanoi. The bad news is that they're for the 24th, two days earlier than we wanted. They purchased me one and I was relieved. One of the joys of travel--things change and you just need to go with the flow. So we can't do our three-day trek to the waterfalls, but we can spend more time here and maybe do a day-trip.
I went back into the main part of town and visited the palace. The temple on the grounds was breathtaking. The palace itself was smaller than I would have imagined. The decor was beautiful and simple. It seemed like a comfortable home, rather than an uncomfortable palace.
I found a bookstore that rents books in addition to selling them. So
Yum
A chocolate croissant and the best coffee I've had in a few months. I will be back. I can spend less and I don't have to worry about reselling it when I'm done. I just need to finish it before we leave or I'm out the deposit.
We met up at 630 pm for dinner and went to a restaurant called Utopia. Surrounded by candles, we sat on floor cushions overlooking the Nam Khan River and watched the full, orange moon slowly rise and turn white. Such a relaxing, memorable dinner!
We walked to the night market to see what there was. While some things were similar to those in Thailand, but some were unique. I found a silver bracelet that sparkles a bit in the light. It's a unique piece--I've never seen anything like it. There were also lots of tapestries, table runners, scarves, etc. I could go broke in a place like this!
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Elyse
non-member comment
Laos
Your photos are beautiful. After going to Vietnam do you like Laos coffee or Vietnamese coffee better?