Rainy Vang Vieng, Laos

 Hi! I went to Vang Vieng from Vientiane on the bus. It was really cheap, around 50,000 kip round trip. (1 USD=8100 kip) I was told it'd take 4 hours, but  it actually took almost 6 hours because the road condition was bad and the buses don't run on time exactly... so plan your trip accordingly :)

Vang Vieng is a small town surrounded by mountains. I was surprised they have 3G service! You can try voicetalk if you need to talk to your family/friends back home.

 Yummy chocolate banana pancake. Food is amazing in Laos! This was only about 15,000 kip.

Pork Schnitzel. 25,000 kip :3

Pad Thai. 20,000 kip

I did hear that due to the influx of tourists in Laos, things are more pricey these days... 

On the way to the Blue Lagoon. It's about 30 min from Vang Vieng and the road is really bumpy, so keep in mind. My tuk tuk charged me 120,000 kip.

Yay, we're here! It's so blue-green :o

 Too cold to swim in the lagoon.. :(

Maybe I'll come back when it's warm.

 Some brave guys dove in from the branch. Don't lose your glasses! Although I did see a Laotian guy pick it up from the bottom for money. The cheeky guy pretended he drowned in the water and gave everyone a big laugh :D

 There's also a zip-line place next to the pond.

 Tham Phu Kham cave nearby. Hiking anyone?

 Bye Laos, see you again! 

Temples in Vientiane, Laos

 Pha That Luang is one of the most famous temples in Vientiane. 

 I wanted to go inside the golden temple, but tourists are only allowed to walk around the gardens.

 Outside the temple, there's a statue of a Laotian leader who fought for independence of Laos.

 I knew Laos was a Buddhist country, but didn't know there was literally a temple next to a temple like this. Explaining every photo would be really boring.

 This lying Buddha attracted me all the way from Pha That Luang. You can't miss the giant Buddha ;)

 This couple donned in traditional costumes was taking their wedding photos at the temple. Aww, how adorable! ^_^

People prayed to this wooden dragon for more rain during droughts. 

A Laotian salad. Lots of cilantro and mayo. Yep, that's crab cake...  According to a local, Laotians eat spicy papaya salad almost every day, like how Koreans eat kimchi.

Patuxay in Vientiane, Laos

Hello! It's been a while since my last post! I have been attending a design school for the past 5~6 months so I was busy. I went to Laos in January for five days, and I thought I'd share some photos with anyone planning to travel there. :)

 Vientiane is the capital of Laos. You'll find this victory gate named Patuxay easily in the capital, which was built after Laos's independence from France.

You can see the Arc de Trimophe influences and Buddhist decorations from the exterior.

 This is the ceiling before entering the gate. You can see the Buddhist characters from different angles as there are more than two windows from the inside of the gate.

 Souvenir shop. You have to take the spiral stairs to go to the roof!

Apparently, Patuxay's construction was funded by the U.S. and the fountain in the park was a gift from China.

 View from the top. Vientiane is a small city indeed. You can see the pointy pagodas scattered throughout the city.

On the other side, there's a park where you can stroll and relax. 

So in Laos, you'll find tuk-tuks which are like cabs in other countries. If you don't like walking, you can always hire a tuk-tuk. You'll have to haggle price all the time and they charge per person. As of Jan. 2015, I'd say you'd pay about $5 for anywhere within the city. (Or you can always walk with a map-it's pretty safe during the day)

 There are different levels at the roof, so be sure to check out the views for the perfect shot!

Some stories about the decorations would have been nice. I don't think I saw any descriptions except that Patuxay is a war monument dedicated to the soldiers who fought for independence. 

 Next time, I'll write about temples in Vientiane.