The Capitol Town

There is one thing for certain: Vientiane is unlike any other capitol of any country we have visited. A Lao woman fluent in English asked us, "What's the word to describe this town?" 'Sleepy' is what came to mind. If the capitol is a sleepy town of half a million people, then the rest of Laos with a total of 6 million must be half asleep (as we experienced in southern Laos) in a pleasantly comfortable sort of way. Laos has had its share of destructive and chaotic events during the past few decades, but today the capitol is deceivingly peaceful and in order. We can find no trace of tension anywhere in our observations so far.

In the mornings, citizens gather at Talat Sao, the central sprawling market that provides a kaleidoscope of goods for sale. They chat together on neighborhood street corners and balconies of their houses later in the day. They love to watch TV, catching up on Thai and Chinese dramas and Thai pop music programs. At night, teens hang out drinking fruit shakes, while adults eat and drink at the many food stalls, playing checkers on homemade game boards with soda and beer caps as the game pieces.

While there are limited attractions for tourists in Vientiane, the city has its own charm. It's a relaxing place set amongst tree-lined boulevards with dozens of temples tucked in between a mixture of architectural styles ranging from Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, US and Soviet influences. To the southwest the city hugs the Mekong River that creates the natural border with Thailand.

Vientiane lacks the hassles we've found elsewhere. I normally have a fit with the endless touting of aggressive taxi or tuk tuk drivers, but not here. When I say no, smiling and shaking my head, they smile back and ask "Something?" I didn't know what this "something" was at first, but soon learned that it's their way of saying, "Do you want some ganja?" They take our "no, thanks" very well; they smile, without forcing the issue, and just go back to laying around in the back of their tuk tuk.

The availability of good food sets Vientiane apart from southern Laos. Thanks, in part, to the fact that the locals have retained the bakery skills imported during the colonial era, you can find excellent breads and baguettes here. A large sandwich with a distinctly Lao flavor – fresh vegetables with French dressing or soy sauce, cheese and patÈ – is delicious and cheap. Add to the mix the full-bodied Lao coffee, the chocolate croissants, the Chinese dumplings and the sophisticated European foods and you can see why we were in heaven.

Spas with herbal steam bath and massage are popping up in the city center alongside upscale shops selling the best of Lao crafts: weaving, embroidery, baskets and other traditional arts. Many of these products are produced by Hmong and other minority tribes in the north and the popularity of these products to the tourist market offer them an opportunity for increased income. The products are crafted with skill into gorgeous pieces that exhibit various geometric patterns, textures and vibrant colors.

The unique qualities of this city can be marked by other elements as well. The sheer lack of vehicles around the city gives it a casual and laid back air. Even on the major roads in the city center, the ease of crossing the street or intersection is a pleasure. We laugh about the lack of traffic jams at rush hour.

There is a sense of relaxed vacancy and the sleepiness of a small town in some other country at the center of Vientiane. Pha That Luang is the heart of Lao spirituality and the symbol of their national identity. Despite the fact that it's most visited site by tourists, there were only a handful there when we visited.

It's a small city compared to other capitols in the world, but Vientiane, too, is on its way to changing and modernizing. As Laos continues to open to the outside world, Vientiane is an interesting place to watch it struggle with its communist past coming face to face with the capitalist future. I think back to what a traveler once told me, "Laos is what Thailand might have been a few decades ago." Indeed, a Thai executive at a major bank said to me, "Laos is so nice that I would love to travel in a place like that."