|  | | French influences in Vientiene | | | | | I love Vientiene...the capital of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos is like a small provincial village with a mixture of the French colonialism with it's socialist style buildings and rules. I took a bus from the Thai border for 10 Bhat (about .25cents) and got off to get my visa...but the bus left without me so i hitched a ride in the back of a Lao family's pickup truck. I offered to pay them but they wouldn't accept. In the afternoon i've been walking the streets...there are small french outdoor cafes which sell baguettes and even a French wine shop...a few bars and internet cafes. I walked into the Lao Cultural Center and sat down in the concert hall to what i thought would be a performance...i was the only foreigner there and the kids where looking at me and laughing...but i couldn't figure out what the event was for. About 2 dozen people got up on stage and people photographed them...then 4 women came and danced in front of them and threw flowers at them. There was nobody there who spoke english so i have no clue what i saw but it was interesting....part of exploring i guess.
I'm going to meet the doctor from Germany who i will be working for in the village...he's the project coordinator. We're supposed to go to one of the villages on Monday.
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