Vientiane
Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is an amazingly subdued and easygoing city, especially compared to Nong Khoi across the river in Thailand. We were prepared for huge crowds, lots of traffic, and the usual hustle that foreigners receive in Asian capitals, but found none of that - even the saamlaew driver who ran alongside our bus, negotiating the fare with me from the window, was honest and took us right where we asked to go - amazing! Vientiane does not have a huge number of sights, but after the dearth of authentic markets and restaurants in the rest of the country, it was great to get a feel for Laos from the locals' point of view. For a change of pace, we dined on fantastic Vietnamese and Thai food, and enjoyed wandering around this laid-back city.
This is a view from within the Wat Si Muang -- the large obelisk wrapped in red cloth is the sacred city pillar, where the guardian spirit of Vientiane is said to live.