Our second day in Vientiane started out with breakfast and another walk.
This time we were in search of the perfect scooter to take us around town.
Our first scooting destination? Patuxai, the Laotian Arc de Triomphe. Patuxai was erected between 1957 and 1968 as a monument to honor those who died fighting for freedom from the French.
It was a fairly hot day so while Mike elected to take the stairs to the top, I stayed down at the bottom. I hadn’t gained back my full strength from my little potential-dengue bout. Sitting on a bench at a prime tourist destination did give me the opportunity to partake in a university student’s tourism survey. I always like stuff like that.
Funny story. The cement that was used in the monument was actually intended to be used for a runway. In the 1960s, the United States gave Laos money to build a new airport, but the government had other ideas. Instead, they decided to build Patuxai.
It’s not for me to say if it was money well spent, but it’s definitely a lovely landmark.
xo, jill
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