Vientiane (Laos), getting a Thai Visa, Mr. Handsome Man, and getting to meet Manny Paquiao

Published: Tue, 02/03/15

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Above: Laos is still officially communist and you will see reminders everywhere you look.

Update: We spent last week in Laos getting a new Thai visa and enjoying the city of Vientiane. It's a strange city, full of contradictions. But we had an amazing time. I'll be doing a detailed post on Vientiane in the coming days. I'm including a few photos in this post to give you a little sample.

Gracias a todos los nuevos amigos Latino que se ha suscrito al blog esta semana!

This week on the newsletter: a few photos of Vientiane, a new post on getting a Thai Visa, and our meeting with Manny Paquiao (or the next best thing).

Above: That's the Patuxai, Laos' big "up yours" to the United States.

The US gave Laos money to build a runway. Instead they built this monument (between 1957-1968) dedicated to Laotian soldiers who died in WWII and in the Independence war with France. It is modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It is also nicknamed 'the vertical runway' (by those with a sense of humour).

This was our Tuk tuk driver in Vientiane. He had an honest face and we liked him; he took us everywhere during our 5 days in the city. We nicknamed him "Mr. Handsome Man" which seemed to make him happy.

People think Laos is poor. It is. But Central Vientiane has some really sophisticated cafes and restaurants and you could think yourself on some street in Paris or Montreal. My theory? Vientiane's economy is propped up by foreigners spending a few days here getting a Thai Visa (below).

New Post!

The Thai consulate in Vientiane can get 600 to 700 foreigners a day applying for a Thai Visa. This visa is required for anyone wanting to spend more than 30 days in Thailand. It's a bit confusing for the first-timer - this post details the 2-day experience that you'll have to go through to get your Visa.

Below: We've always been fans of Manny Pacquiao. He's our favorite boxer. So we were shocked to be served by a waiter that looks just like him. Don't you agree??

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