Day 04 - Sunday, Oct 26, 2003
Vientiane
- Villa Manoly Guesthouse -
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Dodo was up at 4:30 (5:15 alarm) and did a bit of yoga before checkout. Taxi to the airport, breakfast at airport and again on the 1-hour flight to Vientiane (Wien Chan) - lovely, lush foliage, many wonderful trees; taxi to Villa Manoly, right by Wat Si Muang (the temple that contains the City Pillar). We walked to a couple other wats and chatted with novices at a monastery.
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More Villa Manoly Guesthouse Pictures
- Wat Si Muang -
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Wat Si Muang - folk-art-painted wat across a gravel street from our first hotel in Vientiane, Villa Manoly (which was in the midst of construction of a new wing -- very noisy -- and only had rooms available for one night).
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More Wat Si Muang Pictures
- By the Mekong -
- Wat Si Saket -
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Wat Si Saket - Across the street from the Presidential Palace. Built in 1818, it is the oldest wat in Vientiane and the only temple not burned down in 1828 when the Siamese invaded. Here we chatted with novice monks (and the Dutch boy doing card tricks for the novices, who we later saw at Buddha Park). The library here (influenced by Burmese architecture) was used to store Tipitaka and other Buddhist palm-leaf texts. Si Saket also has dozens of mausoleums adorned with incense, flowers, and photos. Very gaudy - reminiscent of Catholic tombs.
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More Wat Si Saket Pictures
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Lunch at a falang (gringo) bar by the square, Khop Chai Deu. It became our favorite Vientiane hangout. We ended up back there several more times, big Monday brunch and drinks Mon. eve.
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- That Dam -
More That Dam Pictures
- Patuxai Arch -
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Walked to Patuxai Arch too late to go up it...
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More Patuxai Arch Pictures
- Bar on the Mekong -
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Tuk-tuk to riverside bar at sunset (mosquitoes biting, Dodo very tired) then we had a lovely dinner on a side street (actually Dodo's food was so-so, like dull Chinese takeout, but good sticky rice, and plenty of gin) and crashed at 10:30 or 11. Dark walk back to hotel. Family at restaurant (owners) playing cards and later singing, playing guitar music, very convivial.
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- Lao Money -
