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November 2001

Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic

Jeremy Koh
2005-11-05 11:36:01

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So we settled upon the task of finding food to eat. However, as it was around 4pm, most eateries were closed. Luckily, we chanced upon the affable tuk-tuk driver who drove us to the university earlier. He very generously offered to drive us to a Thai food restaurant (Phikun Restaurant) for free. After a late lunch, we decided to head for a cybercafe to check our e-mails and take a short break before meeting Kongchay for dinner. The cybercafe wasn't expensive but the server is relatively slow.

Day 1- Dinner

Around 7pm, Kongchay arrived with her group of friends Wan Peng, Mon, Nun (This is how i think it's spelt) to bring us out for dinner. Dinner was steamboat and barbecue at a restaurant by the Mekong River along Thanon Fa Ngum. It was a delicious meal, the restaurant had a great ambience and we spent a leisurely time having a tęte-ŕ-tęte. After dinner, Kongchay brought us to an eatery to sample Lao food. We had ping kai (grilled chicken), tam maak hung (spicy papaya salad) and glutinous rice. Thereafter, we went back to our guesthouse as the rest had a test the next day. At our guesthouse, we decided to take a stroll around our neighbourhood. It was around 10pm but most shops were closed save for a beer garden opposite the Vientiane Times. Thus, we decided to retire for the night and get up early the next day to visit the morning markets of Vientiane.

Day 2- Pre-checkout

Early the next day, we woke up to visit the Talaat Sao (Morning Market). Before that, we had a popular street breakfast, khao jti pa-teh, a split French baguette stuffed with Lao-style pate. This Lao style pate contained various meat and vegetables with dressing. It was a nice meal to start the day with. From there, we proceeded to walk to Talaat Sao. The Talaat Sao is comprised of three large pavilions, each with its own Lao style green-tiled roof. It offers everything ...