Adventures in Guangzhou!

The food options were plentiful but we opted for the scenic cafe right on the Mekong River. Due to the timing of our visit (pre-monsoon season), the river was quite low and people were able to walk across. As I sat there chatting, enjoying the warm weather, and devouring the dishes they brought us, I looked off and saw a group of three monks making their way across the wide river. It was probably business as usual for them but the contrast of their orange robes with the brown of the river was striking. Though Laos shares a border with China, it could not be farther away. More on that later.

It was also at this meal that I was introduced to the nectar of the gods, also known as "Beer Lao," the national brew and only game in town for those who enjoy beer. I truly believe that almost every backpacker who goes through Lao imbibes heartily on the stuff and even goes so far as to buy a t-shirt before leaving. It's that good. This is amusing for a few reasons. First, everyone in the country recognizes the Beer Lao logo and gets excited when you mention it. It is actually a profitable source of national pride,
thus the government has yet to relinquish control of the operation. I had read about this in my trusty Lonely Planet guidebook and it was right on--"fresh" Beer Lao, i.e. on tap, is a tasty tasty beverage and only available in the capital so I took full advantage.

After a nap and some more walking around the river area, we had our first "tuk tuk" experience on the way to a restaurant. A tuk tuk is basically a motorcycle with a little carriage connected in the back that can carry passengers. The name, presumably, comes from the sound the small engine makes while running. They vary in size, shape, and reliability, but they are a convenient method of transportation, especially when traveling in small groups. What is notable about Lao tuk tuks, though, is that they are almost all decorated--mostly with painted designs. It's a small thing, but it really adds to the atmosphere, in my opinion.

After dinner at a highly recommended local joint, we headed back to our hostel and looked for the nightlife. Despite being Saturday night, it appeared that most bars and cafes shut down around 10:30pm. Needless to say, it was an early night, which was just fine by us since we were still exhausted from our marathon travels.

The next morning we walked down the street and found a really nice French bakery for breakfast. It wasn't cheap and was not even remotely tailored to the locals, but it sure was tasty. Having been a part of the former French colonial empire, Laos still shows traces of French influence and this is one of the benefits. I had one of the best croissants and baguettes I've had since coming to Asia and wanted to sit there all morning eating. I resisted though and we went out to start some sightseeing.

We tuk tuk-ed to Pha That Luang, the most famous national monument and temple, featured on Lao currency and visible on the cover of most Lao guidebooks. Our driver, with incredible English, filled us in on some recent history for the city and even joked about how the US embassy in town is unnecessarily guarded by tons of watchmen who don't seem to be doing much. Anyhow, we arrived at the building and immediately marveled at the architecture of it. Kelly decided it looks like an enormous elaborate sand castle and I won't disagree with that. Pretty cool.

We then went to the Pratuxai, Lao's compliment to Paris' Arc de Triumphe. Apparently the concrete was donated by America and was supposed to be used for making an airport runway a few decades ago but they decided this was a better option. Notable is the English sign declaring that the structure looks much less impressive up close. At least they're honest! We paid the small fee to climb up and were rewarded with a pretty decent view of the city. Vientiane has got to be the smallest and most laid back national capital in all of Asia. It's great! Our tuk tuk driver left us to wander on foot, but he was such a friendly guy that I decided to buy him a bottle of Beer Lao as a thanks before he took off.

After spending some time looking through a textiles market (fun for girls, boring for me), we walked by an incredibly old stupa. It turns out it's the oldest surviving stupa in the city and is now used as the center of a roundabout on a side street. For those not "in the know," a stupa is basically a Buddhist funerary monument in the shape of a dome or pyramid. Some stupas supposedly hold relics and most are contained within temples (or "wats," as they're called in this part of Asia).

The stupa itself wasn't all that notable, except for the fact that a Chinese guy born in Shanghai stopped me and asked me if I could take a picture of him with his motorcycle in front of the stupa. I was happy to oblige and asked him a few questions about what he was up to--apparently he has taken a motorcycle (he's currently on his third bike after the first two broke down) through 54 countries and has his picture taken with the bike in front of every major monument. Wow. I'm sure that guy has some wild stories to tell. I was also somewhat taken aback by the fact that he was the second Chinese person that day who I spoke to in Mandarin and didn't flinch. Usually Chinese people either say something about it or show surprise in their faces when you speak to them in the mainland but he couldn't have been less impressed with me. I liked it.

Eventually walked down to the river and looked at a few temples along with the Presidential Palace through the gates. The temples weren't all that unique except for the fact that Tricia struck up a conversation with a group of younger novice monks studying at one of the smaller wats. I was floored by their level of English and quickly began to realize that almost everyone I had interacted with had basic English skills above and beyond even well educated Chinese students. How do they do it?? That's a more complicated question for a different time.

The rest of the day was spent tasting wine at a fancy french wine store, eating tasty sandwiches from a street vendor, napping, heading out to another amazing dinner, and watching some of the Laos v. Vietnam football match. One other thing I noticed at dinner was that Pepsi appeared to be everywhere in Laos. Not Coke, but Pepsi. I have no idea how that came about but it held up all the way the country--hardly anyone drinks Coke, partially because it does not seem to be as widely available. Not a big difference, but a difference nonetheless.