When our overnight bus from Bangkok finally pulled to a stop in Vientiane, we prepared ourselves for all the challenges that visiting a third-world capital city usually brings. The bus dropped us off on a quiet street right on the Mekong River across from a gilded wat (temple). So we figured we were on the outskirts of town and stopped a local to find out how far it was to reach the center of the action. To our amazement, we were only one short block from the main street, where a smattering of guest houses, handicraft shops and simple cafes joined more golden wats under the tree lined avenue. Instead of the hectic pace usually found in Asian capital cities, we found light traffic, peaceful side streets and relaxed locals greeting us with huge smiles and an enthusiastic 'Sabai Dee!'

And so began our two-week love affair with Laos. We wandered the streets of Vientiane in adoration of the many gorgeous Buddhist wats, extravagantly decorated with golden rooftop dragons, smiling Buddha images, colorful paintings and dozens of bell-shaped stupas. Inside the wat complexes, young monks in bright orange robes studied and tidied up around their quarters, or rested in the shade of the fan palms and banyan trees. We especially enjoyed Wat Sisaket, Wat That Foun and Wat Mixai, plus the massive golden stupa of That Louang, an amazing sight. On Sunday, we rode the local bus out of town and had a beautiful afternoon at the Buddha Park, admiring enormous statues and talking to picnicking locals next to the river. Back in the city, aside from the baguettes available at every turn, the only other obvious remnant of Laos's French influence was Patouxai, an Arc de Triomphe inspired monument, which we climbed for a great view of Vientiane. We wandered around the Morning Market (which really lasts all day) and found locals perched on stools and benches slurping bowls of noodle soup, while the wares on sale ranged from exotic herbs and fruits, to imported electronics, to row upon row of brightly-colored, silken fabrics and traditional dresses. But our favorite time of day was always sunset, when we headed down to the makeshift restaurants along the Mekong River for grilled meats, sticky rice and the delicious Beer Lao. The Mekong sunsets here blazed in fiery pinks and oranges, and as dusk fell we watched the silhouettes of fishermen throwing nets into the water. We were talking about how much we loved Laos already, when we realized that the Laos mosquitoes weren't biting us at all.

On our three-hour bus ride north from Vientiane, we had one easily resolved tire problem, which was actually great as it gave us a chance to wander around a village while waiting. Pulling into the town of Vang Viang at night, we were greeted by English neon signs all along the main dirt road offering guest houses, pizzas, sandwiches and other backpacker bait. This town was obviously firmly on the tourist trail, and the next morning, when we could finally see where we were, we realized why. We woke up to a spectacular spread of sawtoothed limestone karst mountains towering over the ambling Nam Xong River. Not only was the setting gorgeous, but the town provided the best of both worlds: touristy western delights and Laos village life. On the tourist roads, we indulged in banana pancakes and thick fruit shakes while laying in pillow-filled cafes watching hours of 'Friends' DVDs, then walked two minutes down another dirt road to find dozens of piglets, chirping chicks, a primitive market, and men preparing their longboats for the river. In the hopes of finding one of the remote caves in the area, we took a local bus ten kilometers north of town, but instead found ourselves lost in rice paddies in a village called Pha Tang, where an excited reception from the local children told us that they hadn't seen many foreigners. We spent the afternoon wandering the area, sitting by the river and trying some more traditional Laos dishes at a village food stand. Going back to town, we jumped into a songthaew (pick-up truck taxi) crammed full with bags of fruit, vegetables and three Lao ladies taking the food to market, then finished the day at one of the riverside thatched hut bars, drinking with travelers around a bonfire. However, the most popular activity with tourists in Vang Viang has got to be lazily tubing down the Nam Xong River under the towering karsts. Enterprising locals have built awesome bamboo platform bars along the river, offering cold beer, free 'Lao Lao' rice alcohol, bonfires, music, tarzan swings and ziplines plunging us into the water. It was hard to move on from Vang Viang, but our excitement to experience more of Laos pushed us onto the next bus north...

Traveler Tips:
**If taking the overnight bus from Thailand to Vientiane, DO NOT pay for your Laos visa at the riverside restaurant that the bus takes you to near the border. You will be overcharged nearly nine dollars for their 'convenience charge'. From the immigration office at the border, the 15-day visa costs $30.

**If you want to stay longer than your visa allows, just visit the small immigration office in Vientiane. Extensions are $2/day and are processed in about 5 hours. If you overstay your visa, you'll be charged $10/day when exiting the country.

**You can pay for most things in Laos with Thai baht and American dollars, as well as the local currency, kip. There is an ATM in Vientiane and Louang Prabang, but outside of the cities, you'll need to have sufficient funds.

**To get to the Buddha Park from Vientiane, take the local #14 mini-bus from the bus station behind the Morning Market. The ride takes about 45 minutes to an hour and you pay the fare (about 5000 kip) when you get off. Or hire a tuk-tuk.

**Laos lingo: Sabai di - hello; la kon/sok di - goodbye; noong/song - one/two; Khob chai (lai lai) - thank you (very much); mak phet - spicy