Posted by Karbo
On Valentine's Day, we took what has so far (knock wood) been the most uncomfortable bus ride of our trip. The "VIP" bus from Luang Prabang to Vientiane was a fully booked double decker and we had the corner seats in the very back row of the upper deck. Our driver drove like a maniac and an hour into our 10hr ride we saw thick black smoke billowing out of the engine. Luckily, our driver also turned out to be a mechanic and after he tinkered around with the engine for an hour, we were on the road again.
It was a long day but we arrived in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, safe and sound with more stories to tell and a new experience under our belts!
It was a long day but we arrived in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, safe and sound with more stories to tell and a new experience under our belts!
Vientiane is the capital of Laos and definitely had a different vibe than Luang Prabang. While Luang Prabang felt very manicured and prettied-up for tourists, Vientiane felt a bit grimier and more like the cities in Cambodia and Vietnam - aside from the wats on every corner!
Of course, Vientiane still had delicious street food! We had some really yummy rice rolls and also gave spicy Laos food another try at Lao Kitchen. We used to think we could handle spicy food but even after asking for the lowest possible heat rating (1 chilli out of 5) in our dishes, we could barely finish them!
One of the famous landmarks in Vientiane is its Patuxai. The monument is dedicated to those who fought for independence from the French and is also known as the Arc de Triomphe. From a distance, it certainly resembles the Arc de Triopmhe but from a closer angle you can notice the Laotian influence in its design.