As a capital city, Vientiane is somewhat off-radar with many treating it as a stepping-stone to get to other main sights in Laos, e.g. Luang Prabang, Plain of Jars. Vientiane has never been on my to-go list but since we had to fly there to get to Luang Prabang, I decided to throw in a couple of nights at the tail end of our Laos trip.
On the flight from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, Snufkin suddenly got sick. He threw up after eating some biscuits and looked so poorly that I was afraid that he has caught some bugs. He slept for the remainder of the journey, in fact he stayed asleep as we embarked from the plane, collected our luggages and even in the taxi on the way to our hotel. So between the two of us, we had to carry 2 backpacks, 1 daypack and a 16-kg child.
Luckily whatever it was that he has caught was short-lived as after the long sleep, some take-away sandwiches from the nearby Joma Bakery (a Laotian institution as far as I am concerned) and a dose of TV, he was back to his usual active self. But even then we decided to take things easy, staying in the hotel for the rest of the afternoon, and only venturing out after 5pm.
The Mekong riverside promenade was a short walk away from our hotel. Vientiane has got to be the most laid-back South East Asian capital city. There was no nasty traffic, no blaring horns and we were seldom hounded by tuk-tuk drivers. The city was refreshingly clean and peaceful. A pleasant surprise was the newish and relatively large playground just off the promenade. On that evening it was full of Laotian kids, many of them looked like they were from the surrounding villages. One particular girl caught my attention. She was barefooted and looked unkempt - but was probably the most agile of the lot. Snufkin too had a ball on the playground equipments. There is nothing like a playground to keep a child happy anywhere in the world.
We walked along the promenade, amazed by the sheer number of people that turned out on that Sunday evening. In a city possibly lacking in recreational facilities that we often take for granted, a sunset walk on the promenade with all its accompanying activities surely must have taken the #1 spot of things to do during the weekend. There were families taking a leisurely stroll, kids doing stunts on bicycles and skateboards, more kids racing their remote-controlled cars.
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| Sunday evening in Vientiane |
The best part is the mass aerobics sessions held near the giant flagpoles, accompanied by what must surely be 90's Laotian pop songs. Walking along the promenade surrounded by the people of Vientiane enjoying their Sunday evening, without another tourist in sight and with the loud and kitschy music in the background - that has got to be one of my best travel experiences. There were moments when I got goosebumps and Snufkin must have also sensed the great vibes for he went absolutely berserk dancing and jumping and skipping. If I did not know any better, I would have though that he was high on something.
Oh I forgot about the sunset. If people watching is not your cup of tea, at least be there for the spectacular sunset. You can sit on the banks of the Mekong river, with a view of Thailand across the river, watching the skies turn brilliant shades of orange, red and indigo.
Overall, we did not do anything much else in Vientiane. We did pass the Patuxai Monument on our way to visit Pha That Luang, the latter to see the impressive gold-covered stupa and the gigantic reclining Buddha statue. We skipped the many wats recommended in our guidebook for I did not think I could persuade a 4-year old to look at another wat/temple regardless of any number of bags of tricks I might have left. But still, the visit to the COPE Visitor Centre and that walk on the banks of the Mekong River were memorable enough - at least memorable enough for me not to consign Vientiane to the deepest recess of my memories.
We stayed at Vayakorn Inn, a guesthouse set down a quiet alley strategically located within walking distance to the promemade, Joma Bakery, La Banneton and the Scandinavian Bakery. At USD35 per night, the rate is decent enough but if you want to save more on accommodation, the nearby sister guesthouse Vayakorn House offers cheaper rates.
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