Wouldn't you know it...there's a replica of the Arc de Triomphe in little Vientiane. I woke up early this morning and rented a bicycle for the day for 1000Kip. It sounds like a lot of money but it's a buck! I cycled to Patuxai, the official name of the Arc de Triomphe. it was built in 1969 with cement donated by the US for the construction of a new airport. I climbed the stairs to the top and looked out to the city, which is all green. The capital is not a capital by any standards we think of, i can't imagine how rural the villages will be. I will find out tomorrow morning when Dr Klaus and I are heading north.
My 1960s bike(with a cute basket in front) was actually more durable then I would have thought. My next stop was Pha That Luang, a beautiful golden temple. It is the most important national monument in Laos and a symbol of both Buddhist religion and Lao freedom. The golden stupa, 85 m high looks like it belongs in a painting.
I met a French man at the temple and we walked around together and then cycled to the market where we had a typical Lao lunch from one of the street vendors.
I then walked around the endless market of stalls. You can find everything under the sun, from fruits, to toilet paper, to antiques, to toilets. I bought an antique box to smoke opium (which is so called forbidden to smoke anymore).
In the afternoon we headed north to find the Hopital de Medicine Traditionnelle where you can use their herbal saunas and get a traditional massage for about $2. We cycled around and asked a few people but nobody had heard of the place (or most likely they didn't know the french name and we didn't know the Lao one). But it was nice to explore the surroundings.
Now my legs are tired from cycling all day and I'm heading to the riverfront for some bbq fish on a stick with some sticky rice...how Lao of me!
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