Vientiane

Tuesday 22nd February

Yesterday evening we strolled around town as far as the peace monument. This is an asian version of the Arc de Triomphe except in the medium of reinforced concrete. Apparently they ran out of cement before it was completed, and finished it with cement donated by the USA to lengthen the airport. This has given it the local nickname of 'the vertical runway'.

We stopped beside the Mekong for a beer, but the river was about a mile away due to the low water level, and the area was too smelly to consider eating. We went to a retaurant where street children were training to be chefs, waiters and waitresses and ate some of the best food of the journey so far.

Met a Finnish hydrology PhD student who said that contrary to what Adisak had told us, there is currently insufficient capacity in the 25 dams in the Mekong catchment to materially reduce the flow, however another 75 or so are planned.

This morning we caught a tuk tuk to an amazing gilded concrete stupa called That Luang, then walked several miles back into town via the Morning Market. In the afternoon walked to the Ho Phra Keo musum, a superb collection of buddhas in a restored royal chapel, and the Wat Sisaket opposite. The latter was the only building left standing when the Thais sacked the city, and differs from the restored wats by having original frescos, raked pillars and a dovecote-like interior with each niche occupied by several buddha figurines.

This city doesn't feel like a capital, more like a provincial administrative centre and if it wasn't for the occasional hammer and sickle flag and the midnight curfew you wouldn't think it was communist either.