On to Vientiane

We left My Dream Boutique Resort in Luang Prabang and flew to the heat of Vientiane. On our first evening we explored the area around our hotel.

. Our hotel in Vientiane overlooked a Buddhist Wat. The roof lines of the buildings are stunning.

First thing in the morning on our one full day in Vientiane we rented a tuk-tuk and went to see the sights of Vientiane. Our first stop was Pha That Luang, the most important national monument in Laos. It is a symbol of both the Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty.

There were many elegant building near the Phat That Mounument.

We walked around the Patuxai (Victory) Monument that is a Laotian rendition of Paris' Arc de Triomphe. It was built in 1969 with cement donated by the USA for the construction of a new airport. Hence, at times it is referred to as "The Vertical Runway."

On the grounds there were several signs like the one below. We didn't quite understand the translation. One other thing that was interesting ... in visiting the National Museum we saw a sign that referred to President Lyndon Johnson as "JonhSen." - Nancy