Images of Vientiane

It was 4 o'clock in the morning when the bus stopped as if for a new break. However, before scrambling to find our luggage and getting off the bus, we realized that we are in Vientiane, the highlight of our vacation in Laos .


Then begins a long search for guesthouse in the middle of deserted streets. In vain ... The majority of hotels closed at 23:30. Around 5:30, finally I saw a small shop that had just opened. The coffee is not yet ready, but the owner, a Lao very welcoming, invites us to wait. It was time to talk with him about certain features of Laos, more than strained relations maintained by the country with its neighbors Thailand and Vietnam ....

Unlike its neighbors Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, Laos is seen as a very authentic and preserved. Thailand was marked by its modernity, Cambodians moved us by their hard work and determination to succeed. Everywhere, the stigma of the "Khmer Rouge" are visible . Throughout our trips by bike in the streets of Vientiane, we saw street scenes and meet new warm and happy people.

There are many street stalls filled with men and women who take the time to drink a coffee or sip a beer. You've probably noticed the "Beer Lao" is a speciality here: men and women drink all day. In Cambodia, beer is much less widespread, although the country has its own breweries. But above all, we never will see men and women spend an evening together drinking. The men sometimes meet at the weekend but these evenings often resemble large "organized drinking", 100% male.

In a random walk, we discovered a superb night market full of dishes all delicious alike. We finally tried skewers of pork and caramelized Laap (minced meat mixed with mint, the coriander, lemon and peppers), all accompanied by sticky rice eaten with your fingers.


Other unusual scenes are those of Laos playing petanque. We couldn't resist the temptation to play with them. Despite our great tiles,we finally lost. Final score: 7-11. Whew! The honor is safe.

Several reasons may explain the authenticity of Laos :

- The location: without access to the sea, Laos is a landlocked country and difficult to travel to

- The Communist regime that may slow down the interaction with the market capitalist countries and Western culture.

- The development of ecotourism. This particular form of tour, developed primarily by Germans, encourages people to preserve the biodiversity of their region to the detriment of their economy (without deforestation and animals that destroy the fields, agriculture is less profitable ...).

With the development of ecotourism, many plant and animal species are protected and the ecosystem Laos remains one of the most diverse in the world. Laos, you guessed it, has not left indifferent. One frustration: there isn't more time to discover Vientian.