Vientiane, the capital, is the most modern city in Laos

I'm smiling because it's our last day in Laos; the country is just too poor, dirty, smoky and lacking of interesting sights for my tastes

This is a great piece of art!; the stupa is made from common ceramic kitchenware like plates, cups, saucers, etc.

Wat That Luang is 4 kms from the center of town and the most popular tourist sight but there really isn't anything to see; it just seemed a popular photo op

The Presidential Palace was originally built for the French colonial governor and also served as the residence of the royal family during the brief Laos monarchy reign; today it is used for ceremonies and official government meetings

That Dam, known as the Black Stupa, is Laos' oldest temple; legend says it was once coated in gold that was carted off after the Siam invasion

Haw Phra Kiew was first built in 1565 and has been rebuilt several times; a number of Buddhas are placed on the terrace, including stone Buddhas dating from the 6th to 9th century

On December 2, 1975, the communist party of the Pathet Lao took over Vientiane, defeated the Kingdom of Laos, and renamed the country the Lao People's Democratic Republic, which ended the Laotian Civil War

This is the staircase at the Patuxai monument where someone could very easily be killed falling into this stairwell; there is no OSHA, ADA, FDA, EPA, etc. here

I ventured inside this modern mall to enjoy the air-conditioning and see what upscale Laotians could buy; there were lots of clothing stores, a Korean supermarket and even a Dairy Queen

Wat Si Saket, built in 1818, formerly held the famous emerald Buddha and is the city's oldest surviving wat; most of the wats in town cost slightly more than $1 for admission

Wat Si Muang is famous for bringing good luck and wealth, particularly to those trying to have children; the elaborate wood carvings and bright colors made it seem quite whimsical

Wat Si Muang; Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos, on the banks of the Mekong River which separates Laos from Thailand here

View from top of Patuxai monument; Vientiane was the administrative capital during French rule and, due to economic growth in recent times, is now the economic center of Laos; the city had a population of 820,000 as of the 2015 census

Wat Si Muang; during World War II, Vientiane fell with little resistance and was occupied by Japanese forces; on March 9, 1945 French paratroopers arrived, and reoccupied the city on April 24, 1945

Shrine of the Vientiane City Pillar was built in 2007 to house the ancient city pillar and 473 stone artifacts that date from 1540

The Ministry of Justice; the economic boom in Southeast Asia seems to have bypassed Laos; there are small signs of progress but the country greatly lags its neighbors

View from the top of the Victory Gate; I'm surprised there were lots of tourists in Vientiane because there really wasn't much to see

Every temple requires you to take your shoes off which got really old; socks get dirty really quickly too

Wat That Luang is the most important national monument of Laos and an icon of Buddhism; legend has it that missionaries from India erected a stupa here to enclose a piece of Buddha's breastbone in the 3rd c BC

Jonathan and the group went to a restaurant and found no soap in the bathroom; he asked for some soap and the restaurant said they didn't have any!

Motorcycles and scooters were the easiest way to get around but there were actually lots of cars in Vientiane unlike the rest of the country; the paved roads were appreciated since it kept the level of dust and grime down

Wat That Luang Neua; the Pha That Luang complex was the most impressive temple complex in Vientiane

This is me taking a break from lots of walking around in 100 degree weather while the locals have jeans and jackets on; rainy season here is June to September

Vientiane was more modern than the rest of Laos but I would have preferred if we had just seen Luang Prabang and then flown from there to Hanoi

The Patuxai monument is a replica of the Arc de Triomphe and officially called the Victory Gate; it was built in the 1960s with cement donated by the US intended for the construction of a new airport