One thing that struck me was the effect of the dry season on the river. In the north, the lack of rain seemed to have little effect on the water level. But, I guess, due to the compounding of low rivers feeding the Mekong, when you get this far down, the difference is dramatic. In the picture below, you can see how little water there is in the riverbed – just a small river in the distance.
After enjoying a stroll along the river, I found myself at Haw Pha Kaeo, which was originally a royal temple used to house the Emerald Buddha, which seems to have travelled in Asia more than Marco Polo. (It is now housed in Bangkok.) The temple had a nice collection of statues inside. It also had a large stone jar on the lawn, which they claimed was an original Plain of Jars vessel, but having seen them myself, I don’t believe it.
My last stop for the day was Patuxai, which is Vientiane’s answer to the Arc de Triomphe. Apparently, the locals sometimes call it the vertical runway because it was built using cement that the US purchased for the construction of a new airport.
This last shot is of the ceiling taken from underneath the arch. I climbed to the top, only to be disappointed that it was basically a ruse to get you into several gift shops.
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