Vientiane

Arriving so early, we were able to check out a few guesthouses before it got too hot or busy. Checked in and then set off to find a coffee shop and relax for a bit, making some plans. Found a place called Jomo - which had tremendous hot chocolate, and even more tremendous chocolate croissants and cinnamon buns. Having had a bit of a cold the last few days, this did the trick.

We walked around downtown Vientiane, then up the main avenue (Lane Xang) to Patouxai - planned as a copy of the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. Although not quite as impressive (okay, not nearly) as Paris, it was still worth seeing, and the views over the city were nice.


On to That Louang - a golden Buddhist stupa, and the national symbol of Laos. Although the gold looks a bit unclean in places up close, the building is really impressive from a distance. Think it would have been great to see at sunset though.
We bumped into Chris (an Australian guy we'd met on the Mekong Delta), so decided to all meet up later (he's travelling with an English girl Emily). Next we went to Wat Sok Pa Louang for a herbal sauna and traditional massage. After a 15-hour bus journey, we felt we deserved it...

IT WAS AMAZING!! Definitely the best massage I've ever had...and the herbal sauna was fantastic too. It was absoloutely roasting, and the herbal aromas really added to the experience! We stayed in as long as we could bear the heat, then came outside (having felt it was really hot earlier, it then felt quite cool in comparison) for a cup of tea...then back into the sauna again for another dose. When we'd have enough completely, we had a refreshing cold shower, then came back for the hour-long massage. All for a total of $4 - aaahhh...life is good :)