Vientiane

Vientiane, the sprawling Laotian capital and the largest city, is home to about 160,000 people. Here you will find the only convenient stores and the only supermarket in the entire country. After being in Laos for a couple of weeks, it was a little strange to see so many varieties of candy and soft drinks. Furthermore, the were even in electric refrigerators and kept cold. Other than these extravagant luxuries, it was business as usual for the residents of Vientiane. Everyone was laid back and seemed to have little worry or stress.

In an attempt to modernize Vientiane some years ago, the U.S. government gave the money to the Laos P.D.R. to build their first international airport. It was said to be a gift to the people of Laos, to connect them to the world. It was a world that had turned its back on this quiet country so many times. So, to stick it to the man in a very French Colonial way, they gratefully accepted the money and built an almost exact replica of the famous French Arc De Triomphe (pictures will be added to this post later).

We also celebrated my birthday while we were there and we had plans to meet up with some fellow travelers. While it wasn't the feel good party you would expect on account of my stomach staging a revolt against some spoiled chicken, it was a good time. we had some of the best Indian food with some of the coolest people we've met in our travels.

It was also a great matter of luck that we were in town for the rocket festival. every year, in order to bring the rains at the end of the dry season, there are these festivals all over the country. At this time, the local people divide into teams and build enormous homemade rockets and shoot them off. They are judged for distance and style, and in the end, a champion is crowned. It was a wonderful time. it was a family affair filled with good, clean, and kinda dangerous fun as only the Laotians can do so well.

written by  katieandmichael on May 15, 2009 from Vientiane, Laos
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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