We are currently travelling through South East Asia and after a wonderful time in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we flew to Udon Thani in the north-eastern corner of Thailand. Udon Thani is near the border with the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) where we planned to stay for a while.
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| Unique architecture in Vientiane, Laos |
Laos is known for its mix of Laotian and French colonial architecture, mountainous terrain, hill tribe settlements, and Buddhist monasteries. It is currently governed by a Marxist and communist regime that rules its 6.8 million people, and after many years of conflict, is now one of the most peaceful and safest countries in South East Asia.
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| Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Laos |
After arriving in Udon Thani, we caught a taxi to take us to the Friendship Bridge. This Bridge spans the Mekong River and would take us over the border from Thailand into Laos. All good - we got to the Thai side of the bridge and were stamped out of Thailand; caught a bus across the bridge; picked up some local kip (money) on the other side; bought an entry visa, and walked into Laos.
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| The Jungle House, Vientiane, Laos |
We had a driver who met us on the Laos side of the bridge, and after an interesting but long and dusty drive, we were graciously welcomed at our accommodation. It’s called The Jungle House and is owned by Michael Boddington MBE, who, with his wife Xoukiet, have opened several rooms in their home as boutique lodgings. It’s built and decorated in Lao style, and is very beautiful.
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| Our local village in the outskirts of Vientiane, Laos |
Their home is in a village just outside Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Entering the Jungle House, we thought we had interrupted a meal, but we were soon introduced to the other four guests at the dining table who were Aussies visiting Laos. Dinner well finished, they were now relaxing around the table with drinks. We joined them and had a wonderful evening.
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| Some of the rice for sale in Vientiane’s market, Laos |
The next morning, Michael took us out in his car for a tour of Vientiane. We visited many places including the local market where we saw so many items for sale - there are no supermarkets here. In one section of the market, they sold only rice and we’ve never seen so much rice in one place.
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| Pha That Luang, Vientiane, Laos |
We also saw Pha That Luang, a stunning golden Buddhist stupa in the centre of the city that dates back to the 16th century. It is believed that this beautiful structure was built over a 3rd century construction, and it is considered the most important Buddhist site in Laos.
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| Marg at the Victory Monument, Vientiane, Laos |
Next, we went to the Victory Monument, dedicated to people who fought in the struggle for Laos’ independence from France. We also visited the museum, which is housed in a beautiful building, and enjoyed a cup of Vientiane’s famous coffee.
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| Leigh alongside the Mekong River in Vientiane, Laos |
One of our stops was on the edge of the mighty Mekong River. There had been a long-running drought and with river levels so low, it was hard to see the water’s edge from the road. The next day, Michael took us to COPE – the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise.
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| Cluster bomb display at COPE, Vientiane, Laos |
Michael started COPE as a not-for-profit organisation that provides treatment and rehabilitation programmes for Laotian people with physical disabilities, especially those who are disabled because of hidden and unexploded armaments (mainly mines and missiles). These armaments were dropped or left by the US Army between 1964 and 1973 during the Vietnam War.
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| Prosthetic legs made at COPE, Vientiane, Laos |
When we were there, we were told that one person is killed or injured every day by these unexploded armaments. COPE funds the manufacturing of items such as wheelchairs, and prosthetic legs, arms and hands, for victims of the explosions. It was a sobering reminder of how this whole south-eastern part of Asia had been affected by the Vietnam War.
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| Eclectic Vientiane |
Vientiane is a fascinating place. It was a French colony at one stage, and the French influence can still be seen in things such as street signs, French style cafés, croissants and coffee. All of this rubs up against local food stalls, typical Laotian homes, and Buddhist wats. We liked the eclectic mix.
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| Street in Vientiane, Laos |
After a few days at the Jungle House enjoying Michael’s and Xoukiet’s company and their beautiful home, ample wine cellar, and Laotian cuisine, it was time to move on. Our next stop is north of Laos in Luang Prabang, and that’s in the next post.
This post is the fourth in a series about our travels through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in South East Asia. The first post was about Bangkok and you can read it here: Bangkok post.