MEKONG PROMENADE

I don't think I really 'got' Vientiane until after the rain stopped on my last nite in the city.

It's hot here, 37 C or more every day, and humid (85-90%), so the heat builds all day and then releases in a sudden, magnificent downpour, complete with thunder and lightning. Afterwards it's fresh and cool - a perfect time for a sunset walk along the Mekong Promenade.

This city comes alive at the end of the day! Hundreds of people head to the riverside to cruise the strip - which must be more than 2 kms long. At any one time there are families out strolling, semi-serious walkers and joggers, girls playing badminton, multiple soccer games underway and clutches of young girls and boys casually hanging out. Couples are snuggled up watching the sunset - but Public Displays of Affection (PDAs) are still frowned upon in this modest country, so it's all G-rated! Of course there are multiple food vendors and handicraft stalls selling everything a tourist might need - its really picturesque.

There's a fitness facility/gym in town apparently, but the park alongside the Mekong is wonderful - kitted out with strategically placed fitness equipment available for public use - and it really does get used! Posters promote "Exercise Every Day!". One of my favorite sights is the outdoor fitness class - aerobics - very high energy and surprisingly well attended. I participated one of these classes in Thailand and had a blast! Last nite there were 2 classes underway at different ends of the Promenade - must have been 200 people working out - mostly women - encouraging me to pick up my leisurely walking pace a bit....

Sometimes a City is just a City. Vientiane now seems a bit more special. It's such a walkable place - I just take my umbrella for both sun and rain protection these days - and off I go until I'm wilted. The City Centre is easy to navigate and loaded with accommodation, shopping, handicrafts, temples and amazing food choices from around the globe. What makes it memorable though is the Mekong - that meandering, sustaining water source for families along it's shores - from Nong Khai, Thailand which I can easily see on the opposite shore (Laos and Vietnam are connected by a Friendship Bridge) - through Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos - just of the countries I've travelled through. The river is lazy and depleted around here right now, but the wide, muddy riverbed and high, fortified riverbank on the Laos side tells me that once the rains come the water will rise significantly! Would love to see that - but I won't be around for that view from the Promenade.

Off to Vang Vieng tomorrow, the Plain Of Jars in Phonsovan, and then Luang Prabang! I'll be looking for another sunset river walk in Luang Prabang before flying back to Bangkok and then Canada. Where did the time go???

The attached (lousy) picture is a quick view of last nite's aerobics class. There's a fountain and a huge statue of King Anouvong, last ruler of the Kingdom of Vientiane, facing the river in the background. Who wouldn't want to get active is a beautiful setting like this?