Blogs from Vientiane, West, Laos, Asia - page 7

Not normally an early riser but even I recognise the necessity to be up and out with the dogs before the morning heat sets in. 6am Karen and I call each other awake across the courtyard of the spacious Bali style house.(former ambassador imported it?) The dogs pile into the back of big Honda and we drive through the still dark streets down to the Mekong, misty, swift flowing. Beautiful. Then its a tough enough hike through the sands to the banks , the dogs excited and they quite often jump into the water especially in the evening when they are hot and dusty and I kind of feel like following them except that no one seems to swim, the current is swift and I could end up in Thailand just across the river. Nearly an ... read more

Et voila, derniere etape au Laos, la capitale. Quelques jours a flaner dans les rues entre les temples et monuments de cette ville bien Francaise!!! Nos cours d'histoire ne portent pas assez sur nos anciennes colonies Asiatiques et oui, le Laos aussi en fait partie et oh surprise, autant on sent beaucoup l'empreinte francaise ici autant au Vietnam et Cambodge, cela est moins flagrant. Comme nous sommes heureux de trouver des boulangeries a tous les coins de rues!!! C'est ca le Laos, moitie Francais, moitie Asiat. Quel super pays!! Mais le revers c'est qu'on se sent comme a la maison et pas vraiment depayse. Et oui je porte bien une polaire....A vrai dire il fait froid ici (20degres) et tout le monde est couvert :) Well, Vientiane is the last city on my trip in Laos ... read more

If it moves and has a heartbeat they eat it. From bats and frogs and various small insects skewered on wooden sticks to flying squirrels and catfish, the Laos people are a happy lot. On our one and only camping day in Laos en route to Luang Prubang, we were invited into a local noodle shop and offered the famous Beer Lao and grasshoppers for breakfast. The enormous grasshoppers were trying to escape from certain death, but with the extremities of their legs removed, making a 'hop for it' was out of the question and most of them just ended up scurrying around in circles on the table whilst the villagers looked on with delight. Not wishing to see the poor insects being thrown into the frying pan, we quickly downed our beers and excused ourselves ... read more

Laos has a different feel, it seems more serene. Yesterday's trip of the city involved quite a lot of temples Buddhas and monks, carvings on tree trunks the victory arch ,( if there is any war going on Laos seems to get involved in it ) and a weird Buddhist/ Hindu park where Dad and I ascended to heaven through a hole in a pumpkin on top of which stood the tree of life. After death you pick a fruit from this tree and thus determine what you will be in your next re-incarnation. Of course if you've just led a rather bad life you won't be able to pick a lucky fruit! Finished the day by watching sunset over Meekong river then a good Lao meal in posh restraunt.... read more

Vientiane is the smallest capital in South East Asia and one of the two that rest on the mighty Mekong river (the other one being Phnom Penh). It lies on the only plain in the northern part of Laos, just across Thailand from where it’s easily accessible by train or bus. Despite the fact that there are no railroads in Laos, there is a train that crosses the Friendship Bridge that unites Laos with Thailand and ends its journey a few kilometers before Vientiane. Just like the whole country, Vientiane is a pretty quiet and slow-paced city, especially when compared to the other metropolis in the region. Urbanism Vientiane’s urban grid was traced during the French rule in the beginning of the 20th century and follows the characteristics of the terrain. The dominant direction is semicircular, ... read more