A Great Day in Vientiane!

Breakfasts at our hotel are a great start to each day. By contrast we have had some interesting meals at some of the tour book recommended restaurants.
In the morning we went to the large central market and then the large shopping mall next door. The asian version of shopping is always interesting to observe. How the vendors survive is beyond us!
We had lunch at a really attractive outdoor cafe, and then went to the amazing Buddha Park. Now mind you, going there means an hour Tuk-Tuk ride partly on unpaved roads- all part of the experience and really fun.
Starting in the 1950s a priest named Luang Pu began decades of creating the most amazing concrete sculptures. Luang Pu was obsessed with The Buddha and so the statues are all of Buddha and Hindu images. The huge pumpkin shaped one represents the world. It's interior is three levels representing levels of existence from the horrible underworld up to achieving nirvana at the top. The scary ones are in a chamber in the middle.
We made it back to the Mekong river for sunset. We then spent happy hour at a rooftop riverside bar. We stayed for an unremarkable dinner.
Walking back to our hotel we came upon the Beer Lao outdoor block party going strong just like last night. For a weeknight Vientiane is a rocking town!