August 3,

I was up by 0700. Jeff said he did not awaken until 0615. That’s pretty good for him. He had taken a benadryl due to itching on his arms… maybe allergic to sunblock lotion? But this morning there were no issues. Just one of those things?? Anyway we had our Javas and breakfast of Muesli and yogurt.

At 0900, Jeff went down to the private office downstairs and was able to rent an electric scooter for two days. It cost 200,000 Kip total, which was $9.37. It’s a Tailg, which is a Chinese brand. Jeff has never done an electric scooter. The guy talked Jeff through the particulars. It seems straight forward enough. Then we were given brand new helmets – they still had tags on them! Jeff had to give his passport with the money. We loaded up and took off. It starts off with quite a bit of zip. So when I tell Jeff okay – I better be ready!😂

We set off to the Lao Patuxay, or the Lao Victory Arch. It was a six km drive (3.7 miles). It took us about 20 minutes. The monument is located in a park setting with a couple of fountains in the central part of Vientiane, close to a big bend in the Mekong River on Highway 13. The highway divides and becomes a one way loop around the monument, helping it stand out to show its significant importance to the Lao people. We parked, paying 5,000 Kip (23 cents) for the privilege, then walked up to the massive arch. We paid 30,000 Kip ($1.41) Foreigner entry fee – locals pay only 5,000 Kip. Under the arch, it has a beautifully detailed, decorated ceiling and it has four arched openings. It has five stories (this is what your ticket allows you entry to) and is patterned off of the Arch of Triumph in Paris, France. This seems ironic to me as the monument was made as the “declaration of independence … from the yoke of France,” according to signage. We climbed up as far as we could go, and walked around taking in the view of Vientiane City as traffic below flowed by. This fifth floor is not the last floor but the last floor was blocked off. As we came back down we took in a few pictures and descriptions of Patuxay and Laos in general. The Victory Arch or Gate was built between 1957-1968, having to stop twice due to a general seizing power temporarily and a flood in 1966. Also read that Laos is known for its cotton, silk, and basket weaving. Lastly a placard described the top seven ethnic groups that make up Laos. The majority is Tai Lao “comprising 55%” of the Laos population and it’s the group that Laos is named after and its Lao tongue is the official language.

We finished and loaded up on our Tailg Scooter and zoomed to the Lao National Museum. We parked, but did not have to pay for parking. The building of the Museum is new – it was just built in 2013 to 2017, with its new opening then. We entered and paid the same 30,000 Kip each, as foreigners. There were three stories. The main level covered “paleontological era,” “prehistory,” and “Lao history pre-Lanxang Kingdom.” We skipped through these three rooms pretty fast. Of note was a large bronze drum that was believed to be 2,000 years old and just unearthed in 2008! We took the stairs up to the 2nd floor and saw a gorgeous, massive wood carved scene of Vientiane’s Pha That Luang Stupa. It was displayed on the large landing of the staircase. So masterful. I wonder if they built this staircase just for this piece of art! Impressive either way!

Anyway, on this floor we saw rooms displaying the time of the “Lanxang Kingdom” and more on the “Ethnic groups in Laos.” There was a life size statue of one of the Kings of Lanxang, as well as Buddha statuary; another intricately carved wood piece from the 1800’s; drawings/paintings; musical instruments; and the custom dress of various ethnic peoples… to name a few things that stuck out.

Then the third floor was of the “National Independence of Laos” and “Protection and Construction of a Nation.” These rooms went into the “Siamese Feudalists”(1779-1893); the “French Colonialists” (1893-1954); and the “American Invaders” (1955-1975) taking over Lao Lanxang Kingdom – it’s too depressing to go into anymore here. Then the 1975 establishment of Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Whew!! We now hopped back on our scooter and back to our place for a cool down.

Around 1700, we went back out for dinner. We were planning on Lao food but decided on Mexican food instead, going to Gringo’s Taco Bar. We had a four varietal selection of tacos and an appetizer of chips and guacamole. It was pretty good. I had a mango daiquiri and Jeff had a beer. We paid 380,000 Kip with a tip that came to $17.81. After we finished, we went back to our place, and we talked with my mom and her husband – wishing him an early Happy Birthday.

Then we went back out for night views of the Patuxay – Victory Gate. It was a great night for pictures, and many locals were out enjoying the green space. We returned and wound up the day talking with church brethren.