As we settle back into the comforting, well-loved routines of our lives in SF, I am really going to buckle down and finish writing about our experiences. There are so many things that I wanted to share with family and friends, but just didn't have time to cover properly. Better late than never...right? So without further ado, we flash back to December 2015!
While we were in Chiang Mai, we learned that Nick's friend from Australia would be in Laos on business soon. Since the opportunity to see him was simply too good to pass up, we made our way to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to meet him. While Mark was occupied with work during the day, Nick and I wandered around being complete tourists.
SCLEG Park: Safe, Clean, Light something something, GreenAlthough four days isn’t a whole lot of time, it was enough to give us a feel for the place. And my overall impression of Vientiane was...well...meh.
It was far too early in our travels for travel fatigue, and there was no shortage of things to see or do, yet I was totally underwhelmed by the city and I didn't know why. It wasn't until months later that it finally hit me: Vientiane is Toronto.
The parallels are uncanny, actually...
A tall thing you can climb
Patuxai GateBoth cities have an iconic structure that you can get to the top of. For Toronto, that building is the CN tower; for Vientiane, Patuxai Gate.
You pay to get the top, and you get a nice view from up there...but then what?
Once you've taken a few pictures and enjoyed the view, there isn't much else to do.
Toronto has tried to make it more interesting in recent years by adding the Edge Walk. But if you can forgive me for going all jaded traveler on you, I would much rather do a plank walk like this, in a beautiful, natural setting.
A big market
Toronto has the St. Lawrence Market; Vientiane, the Night Market. Each is extensive, interesting and a great place to wander around if you find yourself in the city.
The St. Lawrence market is primarily food, but there are small boutiques mixed in there too. Vientiane is the inverse: it's mostly goods and handicrafts with a few food stalls thrown in for good measure.
We had already bought a bunch of gifts for people in Luang Prabang, so I didn't torture Nick by dragging him through Vientiane's Night Market as well. But if you want to buy anything at all, from Lao skirts to iPhone speakers, this is the place to go!
A waterfront area
Vientiane has a nice riverfront area with open-air restaurants overlooking the Mekong and riverside walks. Mark took us to one of these restaurants the night we arrived and we had a really nice meal with him and his co-workers.
Toronto's lakefront is much the same, it has parks and paths that are great for dog walkers and runners. Neither Toronto nor Vientiane's waterfront walks have the same sort of allure as walking along the Thames or Seine, but they're a nice place for an after dinner stroll.
A quasi-historical tourist trap
The Buddha Park just outside Vientiane is kind of a strange place. It’s a collection of sculptures that are inspired by Hindu and Buddhist lore. At first glance, you might think the statues are historical or old, but sadly they are not. They were made by someone in the 1960's, gathered in one place, and turned into a tourist attraction.
 Entrance to the Giant Pumpkin |
 Top of the Giant Pumpkin |
There is one sculpture that you can go inside and climb to the top, which is kind of cool. But I didn't feel that it was worth the price of admission. Nor was it worth the time and effort it took to get there. The park is about 25 kms outside the city, so you'd either need to take a cab, bus or rent a scooter to get there.
Toronto’s equivalent of the Buddha Park is Casa Loma. A local business-man’s ambitious castle-home built in the 1920’s that is now open to tourists. I’m sure you could spend a few hours wandering around exploring the castle and gardens. But truth be told, I've never actually bothered to go! I know it's bad form to knock a place you've never been to. But the $20+ admission was always too steep for my tastes and...jaded traveler alert...I'd much rather go to a genuinely old castle in Europe than visit Casa Loma.
I'm starting to think that perhaps I'm just not the right target market for these kinds of attractions. I am not immune to the joys of tourist traps. There are some that I have thoroughly enjoyed (like this), but the Buddha Park just wasn't one of them.
International Restaurants
The biggest thing that both Vientiane and Toronto have going for them is the fact that they have a great international dining scene.
Thanks to its french colonial past, Vientiane has a lot of really authentic french restaurants and bakeries. There were also pubs serving imported Belgian beer, and what really got me drooling….real Indian food!
It had been about a month since I’d had anything close to Indian food and even the most boring Indian dish of them all (dhal) was starting to sound like chocolate cake to me! We ended up going to a place that had literally only been open a few weeks: Namaste India. The owner is from Mumbai and seriously, the food was so SO good.
 Mark making up for the fact that Nick is in a non-drinking year |
 First time in my life that I voluntarily and enthusiastically order Thali |
If I were an expat, I think Vientiane (like Toronto), would be a great place to live. It's big without being too big, clean and safe. There are things to do on the weekends and lots of outdoor, public spaces. But as a visitor, there isn't anything that you don't have a bigger and better version of elsewhere.
If you happen to find yourself in the city for some other reason, you will be able to enjoy your time in the city. But I wouldn't go out of my way to stop in either Vientiane or Toronto.
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