One Week

I can’t believe I have been in Vientiane for one week already. Work will definitely keep me busy, and it has been a crazy week already because my boss, Pam, completed her tour here and left and my new boss, Matt, arrived just Thursday. I am already enjoying the advantages of being at a small embassy, because I get to be in a meeting with the Ambassador every week. At large embassies, an intern may see the Ambassador fairly rarely. I also get to have Lao language lessons as often as I like. I had my first lesson with my friendly ajang (teacher). She is used to FSOs who have gone through extensive language training, but was very patient with me.

For my first weekend, I was left to explore alone. The other intern, Emily, is in Luang Prabang this weekend. I will get to go to Luang Prabang and Savanakkhet in August with the Embassy. It’s good though, because I can get to know the city on my own. Yesterday I decided to go to Patouxay, which is the “Arc de Triomphe” of Laos. You can climb up to the top and get a nice view of Vientiane. I wasn’t able to sleep in yesterday so I did that around 8 am; it was pretty empty. I then decided to walk to Pha That Luang, a famous ancient gold stupa that has been rebuilt many times. It was definitely a bit of a walk (I calculated that I walked around 5 miles yesterday), but it was good for me to see a little bit more of the city. The stupa was very beautiful, and there were several temples nearby that I visited as well, including one that featured a reclining Buddha. There are many intricate designs in paint or gold on the temple buildings. I stopped on the walk back at True Coffee, which is like a Lao Starbucks. One thing I like about Vientiane is there are not the American chains like Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC (although there is Dairy Queen, which we had in Guiyang too oddly enough). There are so many coffee houses and bakeries and cafes (many French-themed); it is lovely (more than Phoenix despite Vientiane’s small size). It’s very easy to get around, as people speak English for the backpackers and other tourists; easier than Guiyang, certainly. Overall I think I will enjoy my time here.

Today I was able to sleep in, so I missed my free hotel breakfast. I went to a lovely French café and got my favorite latte yet, plus some baguette with butter and jam, and then got a Lao style massage. This was less expensive but more hardcore- the masseuse used her bodyweight, hands, and feet, and I got stretched all kinds of crazy ways. They do some yoga style stretches (except they do all the work for you while you lie down). Conveniently enough I have a large bathtub separate from the shower at my hotel, which is perfect for post-massage baths (and washing clothes, which I have started doing at my hotel until I find a cheap laundry service).