Traveling to Laos was initially a Visa business trip. After having used up three 3o day Thailand Visas, it was time to take drastic steps and go for a 60 day Visa! I had a choice of several countries I could go to in order to accomplish this task. I chose Laos for several reasons, I liked the fact that it was nearby, a Buddhist country, and lush and beautiful like Thailand.

I was also curious to see the difference between the two countries, culturally and physically, now that I have a feel for Thailand.

I had considered taking a slow, two day river boat from Thailand to Laos; I imagined how beautiful that would be. I am trying to learn not to put expectations on what my experience will be, because it is always different in reality than the pictures I paint in my head. After questioning Pink about her experience taking that boat ride, the reality was two 8 hour days on a hard wooden seat in cramped quarters on a rocky boat ride. No food, only the water I brought. I gave up the idea of the boat trip, and decided to fly.

After my flight from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani was confirmed, I did a little research. Udon Thani is in Thailand close to the border of Laos, near the capital city of Vientiane. I found a nice map of Vientiane, and printed it. I also looked up vegetarian restaurants; just to be sure I would be able to eat! I found three, and printed it out. As it turned out, as in Thailand, vegetarian food was offered as a choice at many of the food places.

From Udon Thani I would take a bus to the border and from there a taxi to my hotel.

The day before I left I decided to explore hotels. I had researched them before, but found prices online were very high. I had heard you could get a nice room for $6 a night, so I was going to wait until I got there to inspect the options before choosing. Having second thoughts, I did find a good room online in a decent hotel in an excellent location. I booked the room for two nights, figuring if I found something I liked more I could switch for my last two nights there.

I ended up staying the whole time at Saysouly Guesthouse. It was located a block from the Mekong River, in the midst of the busy riverside business area. Surrounded by restaurants, bookstores, internet shops, other hotels, and of course, little shops, it was ideal.

Since the main purpose of my visit was to apply for a Tourist Visa at the Thailand Embassy, all of my sightseeing was worked around that schedule. I would have to go in the morning to apply, and return the following afternoon to pick up.

After spending all morning Tuesday standing on line with 300 foreigners, my application was in and I was free for the afternoon. I went back to my room, had a bite to eat, and grabbed a Tuk Tuk ride to the morning market.

The market consists of row after row of vendors displaying wares in separate booths. If you are looking for beautiful cloth material, you will find several rows to choose from. In fact, if you are looking for ANYTHING, you can pretty much find it here.

Always a looker, rarely a buyer, I left the market to explore the area and see what I could find. I had seen an interesting sight on my ride to the market, and was aiming in the direction I thought it was in. I was very fortunate to turn a corner and catch site of my goal.

What I had found was Patuxai, which translates to Arch of Triumph. (Now known as the Leaning Tower of Patuxai)

It was surrounded by a beautiful park area. The closer I walked, the more interesting the building became. I started wondering if there were stairs I could climb to get to the top, thinking it would be a great view of the city.

Of course, what would a seven story monument be good for if it didn’t offer a view from the top?

After paying my 1000 kip to access the 7 flights of stairs, I began my upward climb. Along the way I passed interesting portholes, and several floors had concession stands setup, selling a wide array of tourist items. A nice break between the flights of stairs!

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The final flight up the winding staircase rewarded me with a view of the city. Vientiane is quite expansive.

The town center of Vientiane has a mixture of new and old.

You can even find a rooster or two strolling down the sidewalk.

Along the river where I had chosen to stay there is also a mixture of some new, mostly old. The Presidential Palace is right up the street from the business district I was staying in. I understand the Palace is rarely used, only occasionally for ceremonial purposes.

Across the street from the Palace on the rivers edge, the style is a little different.

Further down river, is the River Promenade, a stretch of outdoor restaurants overlooking the Mekong River.

Wednesday afternoon I had to return to the Embassy to pick up my visa. I left early in the morning so I could explore the surrounding area. I had the Tuk Tuk driver drop me off at the Embassy, and started off walking from there.

I was drawn to a building I could see several blocks away. Turned out I had stumbled upon the most important National monument in Laos, Pha That Luang. What luck I was having!

The Great Stupa is the most important national monument in Laos, and is a symbol of the Buddhist religion and Lao Sovereignty. An image of the Stupa appears on the national seal of Laos. Once surrounded by 4 Wats, 2 remain today, the Wat That Luang Neua and Wat That Luang Tai.

The garden was full of wonderful statues, and many images of Buddha.

Even found a Buddhist kitty living among the Buddha’s. (What karma!)

I returned to the Embassy, retrieved my passport, and went back to my room.

A couple doors away from my hotel there was a Lao Traditional Dance theater. Every night I could hear the music, so this night I decided to attend the show

I really enjoyed the city, but was aching to get out into the countryside and see some of the beauty of Lao. I had been to visit several tour guide shops, and had seen the gorgeous photos of the mountains, and National Protected Areas, the beautiful waterfalls, lush landscapes. But most trips were 2-3 days long, and I didn’t have the time. I only had one day left to explore Laos.

A couple more doors up past the Lao Traditional Dance Theater I found the Lao Woman’s Union Tour office. Wanting to support any efforts to help Lao women, I decided to check out their services. I arranged for a private tour to a nearby lake, hoping to see some of the countryside along the way.

The tour turned out to be extremely enjoyable. My guide, Silasak, was very knowledgeable and hospitable. Our first stop was at a river. He asked the driver to stop and let us walk across the bridge, and it was truly beautiful.

Our next stop was at a small village near Vientiane where families work at producing salt. Salty water from a well on the property is poured into huge vats, and boiled, causing the salt in the water to rise to the surface.

The salt is then scooped out and put in baskets to dry.

The salt crystals are bagged, and shipped off to a salt manufacturing company, where the salt crystals are mixed with sea salt, and sold at markets. Families earn an average of $30.00 a month for their labor. It was very interesting seeing the process, and seeing the lifestyle of the village workers. Their life is so simple; they truly seem to live in the moment, with no worries or concerns about tomorrow.

We continued our journey, beginning to climb into the hills, and came upon the Dam.

On the other side of the Dam was our destination, Nam Ngeum Lake. The lake was a most beautiful color, and was filled with little islands.

We drove down into the village, and boarded a traditional boat, and toured the lake. The water was very warm and inviting.

The small village that lines the banks of the lake has many shops, several restaurants, and homes.

While driving through the country we often passed animals wandering aimlessly down the roads. We saw lots of goats, cattle, a horse, water buffalo, chickens and roosters. Since there were no homes or farms close to where they were walking, I asked Silisak about it.

He said the people of Lao do not take what is not theirs, so the animals are free to roam, and the owners can always claim them when they need them. He also said there was much discussion about the responsibility of an accident. If someone hits one of the animals and kills or maims it, is it the driver’s fault, or the owner of the animal? Hmm, interesting, although it didn’t appear to be a real problem, and I doubt if very many get hit. The animals and drivers seem to respect each other on the road, and share.

After eating at one of the restaurants, we headed for our next stop, a weaving factory. The Lao Woman’s Union helps support and encourage training in this beautiful traditional art as a way for women to self sustain themselves. Public education in Laos lasts only 5 years, so young people must find a way to continue their education, or learn a trade that will support themselves, and eventually their families.

Young men are expected to spend part of their time ordained as Buddhist Monks. While ordained the young initiates earn merit for their family, and receive a free education. My guide Silasak had been ordained for 15 years. He left the monastery 6 years ago. He was well educated, exuberant about life, his country, his people, and brimming with optimism.

Our last stop was one of the more amazing sights of the day. We arrived at Vang-Xang, an area that once supported a village, where incredible Buddha images are carved into the cliffs. The sculptures are thought to date back to the 16th century. As always around Buddha, a very peaceful and ancient aura in the air.

And of course, I can not end without showing a few of the beautiful sunsets over the Mekong River. The water was not flowing, rainy season had ended in August, and the riverbed was partially dry. It was still beautiful.

My observation of the differences between Laos and Thailand really hit home when I returned to Thailand and felt a bit of a culture shock. Thailand is a much more advanced country, at least in Chiang Mai. The people of both countries are very friendly, although in Laos the feeling is even more laid back.

I read in Lonely Planet’s Lao tour guide a commentary on cultural differences between Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos. It said “the people of Viet Nam plant rice, Cambodians watch it grow, and the people of Laos listen to it grow”. I could definitely see that attitude. Very mellow, no worries. Sometimes you would catch a Tuk Tuk driver napping in a hammock strung in the back of his vehicle while waiting for his next fare.

You can review these photos plus many more in the Laos album. I would highly recommend a trip to Laos to anyone seeking a peaceful, interesting, inexpensive and breathtaking trek. Although I would definitely suggest more than 5 days, and take one of the many 2-3 day tours offered to get a real taste of Lao.