Trip to Thailand, Laos & Vietnam: Vientiane, Laos

Terrible things are happening to my favorite shopping area, the Morning Market (which actually runs all day) in Vientiane, Laos. There used to be three peaked buildings like the one on the left. For the last couple of years they have been tearing down two of them and building this monster in the middle. I fear it will be similar to the nearby fairly new mall which contains cheap western clothes and not the gorgeous textiles which I like to buy. They also tore down a nearby ethnic textile market.

The beautiful park near my hotel

These signs were everywhere on a fence by some remodeling. I assume it means no parking.

Civilization has come to Vientiane. A new Swensen's opened since my visit in February. I had to try it out of course. There is a Pizza shop next door.

Almost $5. Very expensive by Lao standards and the air conditioning didn't work very well.

The beautiful doors of the Cultural Center next door.

My usual banana split in one of my favorite restaurants. I couldn't show favorites.

This stand of paintings has been on this corner for years.

The finished new park by the Mekong with a flood wall. Annual flooding of the Mekong was a problem here and many times when I would arrive in the rainy season the streets along the river were lined with sandbags. The previous park along the river was quite neglected (My friend Phonesay said that Loatian people don't really respect parks like Americans do.)
There were stands along the river selling fast food, restaurants where you could watch the sunset and in the non-flooding season there were farmers fields making use of the fertile silt left by the river. That's all gone now.

Trip to Thailand, Laos & Bali- Trains to Bangkok

After the Museum I was off to the new train station in Laos near the Friendship Bridge and the border with Thailand. This station just opened last March and there is a morning and afternoon train across the bridge. It is a handy way to get to the Bangkok train in Nong Khai...the first town over the bridge. You go through Lao immigration at this station and Thailand immigration at the next station.
The train has just four cars. In Nong Khai you have to transfer to the Bangkok train.
Inside the train.
I had to take a second class sleeper this trip as it was the only type I could reserve online. Actually it was quite comfortable with single seats across from one another on each side of the car. And there were racks to store your bags on the side which also served as ladders to the upper bunks. A porter came along and made up the beds and each bed had a curtain for privacy. Not bad at all.
Yikes. The only drawback was that there was only a squat toilet in this type coach. There are western toilets in the first class coaches.

Trip to Thailand, Laos & Bali - Walking Around Vientiane

Monks with umbrellas seem to be everywhere in the afternoons. The Joma Restaurant on the left, with a bakery and outside tables is one of my favorite. Pumpkin soup , quiche and banana splits. Yum.
Fried fish waiting for customers on a streetside stand.
The Cultural Center. I attended an Indian/Laos Fashion Show here a few years ago.
This is a new building with a high end craft shop which never seems to be open.
I would guess that that is a bar.
Hmong textiles made into fashionable clothes.
The fountain in the park up the street from my hotel. A favorite area in the evening when it is lit. Vientiane is an early town and the streets are pretty quiet after 10 pm.
There are always lots of tuk tuks here at the end of the park. They want huge fees to take anyone anywhere so I always wonder just how much business they have or are just there to chat with each other.
Ahhhh. The Scandanavian Bakery. Croissants in the morning and cinnamon buns to die for. Never mind the delicious cakes and cookies. Always busy.

Trip to Thailand, Laos & Bali - A Walk around Vientiane

On my first morning in Vientiane of course I had to head over to the Morning Market. The first few tuk tuk drivers I encountered wanted an exorbitant fee so I opted to walk. A few blocks from my hotel is the Wat known at That Dam.



Sitting at the centre of a quiet roundabout near the centre of Vientiane, legend has it that the stupa known as That Dam was once coated in a layer of gold.The gold is said to have been carted off by the Siamese during their pillaging of 1828, after which the stupa took the black sobriquet in memory of the dastardly act.However, another myth is slightly at odds with this. It says That Dam is the abode of a dormant seven-headed dragon that came to life during the 1828 Siames-Lao war and protected ocal citizens.Either way, the stupa appears to date from the Lanna or early Lan Xang period.

The central part of the market is still under construction and looks like it did a year ago.

Over the last few years I have gotten to know all the Hmong families who vend at the market. Vending is a family affair with one group at the market selling while the extended family at home makes the beautiful quilts, bags, pillows and other items for sale. These two beautiful children were eating breakfast in the back of the family booth.

In the heat of the day it is very common to see monks with umbrellas walking in the streets of Vientiane.

It is a favorite subject of local painters and there was a stand on one corner where you could buy these paintings.

Trip to Thailand, Laos & Bali- The Lane Xang Hotel Vientiane

This used to be my favorite hotel but several years ago I found it hard to make a reservation and began staying at other places. This year I found a new site which made reservations easier and decided to try it again. I love its central location right on the Mekong and near most of my favorite restaurants. It was the first "luxury" hotel in Vientiane built many years ago with the help of the Russians. It was "replaced" in the luxury market quite some time ago. The main sitting area on each floor contains this stiff Chinese furniture.

And these unexplained display cases.

Hot and cold water.

The beautiful doors have carved elephants. There is a cultural show in the dining room most nights. And a lovely outdoor pool and fitness center. Two weddings were going on in the evening while I was there which was interesting to watch.

They must have changed mattresses as the bed was much softer than I remember. Asian beds take the word "hard" to a new level.

And they had installed more soundproof glass. The street noise from the front rooms used to be terrible. A view of the Mekong from my room. They are working on the park along the river.

My room had cable TV (lots of Thai programs as well as a few from Laos) A refrigerator and a nice touch of fresh fruit every day. They had remodeled the bathrooms since my last visit and they were quite nice.

Hmong Story Quilt - Escape to a New Life

Perhaps the best known form of Hmong needle art is "Paj Ntaub Tib Neeg" also called "story cloth" These lovely pictorial embroideries developed very recently in Hmong history. It appears that Hmong men began to draw elements of traditional Hmong stories to help make sure they would be remembered during the times of change. While in the refugee camps, if not sooner, women began to have the men draw on fabric so that they could stitch the stories on cloth.

These remarkable embroidered cloths include not only the stories and daily life of Hmong culture but also record their experiences during the Vietnam war and their escape to Thailand. The quilt shown above is a large version of the "escape" quilt. If you saw Clint Eastwood's movie Gran Torino there was a smaller version on the wall in the hall in the Hmong house.

These "story cloths" have been made extensively in refugee camps to sell to foreigners who visit the camps. Many were sent to relatives in America and other countries where they could be sold in a broader market.

I have been purchasing these wonderful Story Quilts for a number of years from their makers in Vientiane, Laos. Although the Hmong can be found in Vietnam and Thailand I usually find the best quilts in Laos. And over the years I have developed a relationship with some of the makers who save me a nice selection.





This quilt depicts daily life, working the fields and travel between the different villages.

This beauty focuses on caring for the animals. The quilts are made of cotton or poly/cotton and every stitch is made by hand.


The stitches used for story quilts seem very limited at first glance. But there is a surprising variety including back stitch and stem stitch in a dazzling array of colors, bokhara couching is used in the walls of the houses which does a fantastic job of mimicing the bamboo construction of the Hmong houses. People, animals, flowers and tools are all comprised of satin stitch. Traditional style clothing and adornment are delicately portrayed. Note the black jackets with blue sleeve cuffs which are everywhere in a Hmong village.

Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane is one of my favorite cities in Asia. It is just jam packed with temples, many of which I have never visited despite my best efforts over at least 10 visits over the last few years. This one is by the Mekong River near the center of town. We headed out to the Morning Market (which is open all day) and I veered across the street to show my daughter and son in law the "Hmong" Market across the street. In addition to many of the textiles available across the street there are shops selling outfits for celebrations. There is also a vegetable and medicinal herb market but unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take photos.

Of course we had to stop for the required banana split.

Beautiful carved temple doors.

My friend Phonesay (the former monk) came over to our hotel in the evening with his wife and baby. We went out to dinner in one of our favorite restaurants.

Our hotel lobby. I don't quite understand the umbrella.

Just across the street from our hotel is a fabulous temple.

Just the doors.

The grillwork was heavily mirrored and just glittered.

A tomb.

Windows.

This was just the entranceway to the main building.

Bas reliefs outside the main building.

After all this culture it was surely time for a nice snack at my favorite Scandanavian Bakery.

A hat seller near the Morning Market.

The view of the temple from our hotel.

Tuk tuks waiting across from the Scandanavian Bakery. This is the town center and has a nice little park with a big fountain.