Laos is an almost forgotten country sandwiched between Cambodia and Vietnam. Vientiane, it's capital, was pretty sleepy back in 1993. Compared to Saigon, there was hardly any life at all - very, very little hustle and bustle.

It was great to see the umbrella carrying monks outside That Luang Pagoda. As always, the monks are extremely shy and very rarely present an opportunity to try and converse. However when they do, they're always interested in listening to Walkmans.

Paul is shown here with one of the temple carvings. There were very few travelers in Vientiane when I was there. Most places were pretty deserted. It did however present a very relaxing environment.

That Luang Pagoda is pretty hard to miss. The Laotian temples resemble the Nepalese or Burmese temples rather than the Thai or Vietnamese style.

Some of the carvings both inside and outside the temples are very intricate and colorful. I loved the dragons which seemed to reach out to me.

Just like in Thailand, even the kids get to ride on a scooter from an early age.

Another temple in Vientiane with some exquisite design. The inside had second story elevated walkways along the inside walls for the monks to move around freely.