Our limited one day stay in Vientiane meant that we could not do the sights in as much detail. We did not feel we missed much however: we felt Vientiane was like any other Asian city (Ho Chi Minh, Phnom Penh, etc.). Our sightseeing encompassed an evening's walk along Vientiane's major roads.

From our hotel, we first walked to the Patuxai due to its proximity. The Patuxai is supposedly the Laotian equivalent of the Arch de Triomphe (while Lane Xang Thang on which it is located, is Laos' own Champs Elsyees!). The similes end there though.

The Patuxai is an unfinished monument - construction began in 1962 and went on till 1969, and we read somewhere that it was made with US-aid cement diverted from the construction of the airport! ???! But it was quite poignant to go all the way to the monument and then read a description that admitted that the monument was quite hideous! Where else in the world would you find such sovereign innocence? The inside of the dome at the top of the monument is the only part that has been painted, while the rest of the building still has the colour of concrete. The paintings on the dome are those of Vishnu, Brahma, of Rahu swallowing the Sun and other such scenes from the Ramayana.

We walked further down Lane Xang Thang and through some of the other streets of downtown Vientiane. One of the things that became immediately apparent was the presence of a larger than usual number of international aid agencies in the capital city - UNDP, AusAid, WFP, FAO and many more were all there... as could be seen from the large number of vehicles bearing their logos. After a quick snack at the Scandinavian Bakery (famous) at the Fountain, we walked over to the banks of the Mekong.

June 22, 2004