Day 24 - Vientiane, Laos to Bangkok, Thailand

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Today we are leaving the serene town of Vientiane.  It was nice to visit a town with less traffic, no congestion, no honking, fewer people, and a no-rush atmosphere.  We were up early.  The a/c that didn't seem to be working very well last night is now performing well.  grr!  We got dressed and went downstairs for a complimentary breakfast; eggs, melon, pineapple, French bread and o.j, etc. -- on the outdoor patio under blue skies and the sound of a waterfall.

We had some time before we had to leave for the airport, so we headed out to see the Black Stupa.  From our hotel, we have been able to view only the top, so we figured that it was within walking distance and how much of a sweat could we possibly work up! 

"That Dam Stupa" 

It is said that The Black Stupa is the mythical abode of a seven-headed dragon that protects Vientiane.  Supposedly it protected residents during the 1828 war.  It was renovated in 1995 and is presently overgrown with vegetation.

When you get out and walk, you see so much and some surprises.  Enjoyed viewing the different types of architecture.

Settha Palace Hotel

Built in 1932, this two-story French colonial hotel sits directly across 

from the Black Stupa.

We had some post cards that we needed to mail, but our hotel did not have stamps.  They directed us to the post office, but it was not open yet.  So, we walked over to the Lao Plaza Hotel (where we had a great buffet the night before) to see if we could "post" our cards there.  While Kent was chatting with the staff, I took some more pics of their foyer,  and front entrance.

a map of Laos using different types of wood

Lao National Cultural Hall is across the street

Back to our hotel to cool off, finish packing and make sure we did not leave anything behind.  Our taxi trip to the Wattay International Airport was short due to no traffic and only four-ish miles away.  We came through the doors at the airport but discovered that we could not check in until 10:30.  So we sat and waited and checked out the gift shops.  After we were allowed to check in, we went upstairs to go through security.  But, they were not yet open, so we sat and waited and checked out more gift shops.  After being allowed to go through security, we went to our gate and waited again.  The boarding time was 10:55.  Gee, we could have gotten in more sight-seeing -- in the heat!  Our Bangkok Airways flight took off at 11:30 and we landed at 12:30 in Bangkok, Thailand.  They served us an A+ lunch and so efficiently, in such a short time.

one last look at the outdoor patio of our hotel

Wattay International Airport

These are some of the beautiful hand-loomed fabrics for sale in the airport gift shop.

These young ladies were kind enough to let me take a picture of their skirts.  Traditionally, they are a wrap skirt with one pleat on the side and feature a brocade or other woven pattern at the bottom.  They wear a simple button-front blouse in a light color.  They are very typical of what women wear every day; going to work, shopping, taking their kids to school, etc.  I rarely saw women in pants or 'western' clothing in Vientiane.  

This airport is unique in that you are escorted through the outdoor walkways to your plane or escorted to the terminal after you have landed.

view of landscape when taking off from Vientiane, Laos

two views of the Mekong River

on one side is Laos and the other side is Thailand

After landing in Bangkok, Thailand at the Savarnabhumi Airport, and coming full circle on our trip, we were glad to be back in a somewhat familiar place.  Taxi to Marriott Courtyard; a good 45 minutes.  Welcomed at check-in and went to our room.  We were certain that it was the same one we had before.  It did not take us long to 'hit' the 15th floor, where they have cold, bottled water, sodas, juices, fruit and other goodies all of the time.  Since it was late afternoon, we had a hard time deciding what to choose to do as tourists.  We have found on this trip, no matter what country, that 'everything' closes as early as 3:00, but usually last tickets are sold at 4:00 and they close their doors by 5:00.  Museums and tourist attractions are never open in the evening.

So, we decided to walk to the nearby mall that we had heard so much about.  It had 6 floors with lots of shops and more than 70 restaurants and fast food places.  The stores were all high-end and most of them we had never heard of before.  (Or, maybe we should get out more.)  Three were my favorite:  Caith Kidston, Fly Now III and NaRaYa.  But back to the hotel for a (free) 'dinner'.  It is always so good.  Back to the room to power up the computer and load pictures into the blog from the last several days of touring.     

now this looks like a great bag for traveling, if only the pockets were on the inside!

rush hour traffic in Bangkok, Thailand

Right in front of a very exclusive mall, stalls with merchandise and food are set up to attract tourists, people leaving work and those coming into the city for the evening.  It gets so crowded that you can hardly get through.  And it smells so good.

Below is the car traffic, above are walkways for pedestrians and then on top 

are the city trains.