Lao P.D.R.: Vientiane

     After a 10 hour sleeper train ride, I arrived in the capital city of Vientiane, Laos (officially named Lao People's Democratic Republic). I had originally planned on visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia, but chose Vientiane since it seemed less touristy. The city is pretty small for a capital, and as such has a small town atmosphere. The people are very friendly, with many speaking English like in Thailand. The atmosphere is very relaxed, so everyone seemed care free. As a bonus, the city is even cheaper than Bangkok. The hostel I stayed in cost $5.50 per night! Therefore, money was not an issue while there, and I could spend without worrying.
    I had a small lunch while waiting to check into my hostel, and after I checked in I walked down a street with a map in hand. I was aiming for the Lao National Museum, as it was close. I made it to the museum, and chatted with some of the people who were also there waiting for it to open. After it opened, I entered inside and began to see many historical artifacts, pictures, and the like about the history of Laos. I did not know a lot about the country, so most of the information was new. I saw Lao's ancient art and weaponry. I saw it's relationships with France and the U.S. With the latter, I saw how much war and strife the country had been through to become what it is today.

     After viewing the museum, I headed back in the direction of my hostel with Chris and Kate from the UK, who had also viewed the museum. After deciding to save some attractions for the following day, I took their invitation to join them for lunch. I have no idea what the Lao dish was called, but it tasted pretty good. In general, the city offered a nice variety of good food. I ate Lao food, Turkish food, American food, and French food I believe. Since the city is relatively small, all of the places I ate at were close to each other. Highlights were the chocolate pancakes with Lao honey, and the strawberry pancakes with Lao honey that I had! I hung out with Chris and Kate for the rest of the day, walking around the city and heading the Talet Sao Mall to look around. We also visited Wat Si Saket, the only temple in Vientiane to survive the pillaging of the city by the Siamese in 1828. The temple contained a variety of Buddha images with characteristics unique to Laos: "the standing or 'praying for rain' Buddha; or the pose with the armps up and palms facing forward, the 'stop fighting' or 'calling for peace' Buddha. The pose in which the Buddha points the right hand downward signifies a rejection of evil and a calling to mother earth for wisdom and assistance. Lao Buddhas also have exaggerated nipples and square noses, to emphasize that Buddha is no longer human."

     The next day, I rented a bike and rode off to view different attractions in the city. One of these attractions was the Victory Monument. The monument is dedicated to the memory of Laotian soldiers who died during World War II and the Independence War from France in 1949. It was built with American funds and cement intended to build an airport. The monument draws many visitors, and offers a nice view of the city upon reaching the top. I also visited Pha That Luang, a gold-covered Buddhist stupa. Even though it has several reconstructions, it is regarded as most important national monument in Laos and a national symbol. A short bike ride from my hostel was Anouvong Park. There were many people in the park, relaxing on its benches, walking around, and jogging on its long jogging trail. By night, it was mostly covered with a market. The market was vast, stretching out further than I dared to walk. Within it, you could find food, drinks, clothing, electronics, and so forth. Therefore, it was packed with foreigners and natives alike. 
     One of my major visits for the city was definitely the COPE Museum.  COPE, which stands for Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise, is a not-for-profit organization that works in partnership with the National Rehabilitation Center and provincial rehabilitation centers to provide access to orthotic/prosthetic devices and rehabiliation services, including Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. It hopes to cover the cost of mobility devices and rehabilitation for people in Lao P.D.R. who cannot afford it. Due to bombings by the U.S., there are many bombs that did not explode upon impact left in the country of Laos. To this day, there are still deaths and injuries that occur due to people accidentally triggering a bomb left in the ground. These people are the main targets of the COPE organization. The museum is dedicated to this mission, informing it's visitors about Laos history with the bombs, ways that visitors can help the organization, and about the organization itself. I had never heard of the organization before, and was glad I got to visit the museum. The national museum let you know what Laos had been through, and this museum let you know in part what Laos is still going through. 
     Upon leaving Laos, I definitely felt I made a good decision in visiting the country. It isn't a rich country, but from what I saw a lot of people are still enjoying life there. I'm glad I got to be around it's friendly and laid back atmosphere and people.