Vientiane

We didn't have to get up early this Friday morning, so we had a bit of leisure time to get our bags packed for today's flight. We also had time to Facetime back to the U.S. and see our granddaughter, who was just getting ready to go to bed for Thursday night, their time. 

The grounds of our hotel made a great spot for wedding photos.

Morning over the Mekong from our hotel.

Once packed up and checked out of the hotel, we took the tuk-tuks one last time into Luang Prabang, where we visited the Royal Palace Museum. Laos actually has three royal palaces: One here in Luang Prabang, one in Vientiane, and another in the southern part of the country. This is not because one king needed three houses, but because Laos was three separate kingdoms with three distinct ethnic groups until it was conquered by Siam, and later by the French. The last king to live here was executed by the Communists in the 1970s. The house is largely intact, with many of the original furnishings, including the former king's cars -- several Lincolns and an Edsel! No photos were allowed, unfortunately.

Palace exterior. Unfortunately, no photos allowed inside.

Following the museum we walked to a local bakery for a light lunch, then met the bus for the trip to the airport. 

One last view of the Mekong at Luang Prabang from the bakery where we ate lunch.

The flight was only about a half hour, but the local airline still managed to serve us a snack -- pretty amazing compared to U.S. airlines! Our hotel is well situated near the heart of Vientiane (which should more correctly be Vien Chan, but the French spelled it their way), a city of some 700,000 people. After a bit of time to unpack and check email, etc., our local guide took us on an orientation tour of the neighborhood. We learned how to cross streets here (carefully, there are no traffic lights) and where some of the key landmarks are. The U.S. Embassy is virtually behind our hotel!

Looking across the river from Vientiane into Thailand at sunset.

We also walked to the bank of the Mekong River, where we could look across to Thailand on the opposite bank. We saw yet another royal palace, but this one only from the outside, as it is now a government building used for offices and diplomatic receptions. Along the way we happened upon a mobile vendor set up in a parking lot, preparing egg crepes. The local guide bought a couple fresh off the grill, cut up into bite-sized pieces for the group to share. They tasted a lot like French toast.

The crepe maker at work.

Along the river is a night market, as well as groups doing aerobic dancing or jazzercise. Many people were walking along the levy, exercising or just enjoying their Friday evening. We walked back a different route through city streets, seeing a number of restaurants of every nationality, the performing arts center, and the big five-star hotel in town, all from the outside. Our dinner was served at the hotel, another huge rice and stir-fry meal with several different dishes. By the time it was over, the evening was far gone, and we retired to our rooms.

Statue of King Anouvong, the last to rule at Vientiane, offering his hand in friendship towards the Thai side of the river. (Something of a fiction, as he actually died fighting them in 1829!)