Vientiane, Capital of Laos
Patuxai, Vientiane, Laos - Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos, on the banks of the Mekong River near the border with Thailand. Vientiane became the capital in 1573, due to fears of a Burmese invasion, but was later looted, then razed to the ground in 1827 by the Siamese (Thai). The city was the administrative capital during French rule and, due to economic growth in recent times, is now the economic center of Laos. The city had a population of 948,477 as of the 2020 Census.
Vientiane is noted as the home of the most significant national monuments in Laos – That Luang – which is a known symbol of Laos and an icon of Buddhism in Laos. Other significant Buddhist temples in Laos can be found there as well, such as Haw Phra Kaew, which formerly housed the Emerald Buddha.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vientiane
Administrative Capital of Laos
A single paved road in all of Laos 1968-1969 was in Vientiane.
In town, the Pathet Lao (PL) behaved themselves and were out in the open.
PL House
Most street signs are written in French, and so was the pre-1975 money, Kip.
Morning Market
The Morning Market is the hub of the city. There is also an Evening Market.
Locals shop here every day here be it gets hot in the afternoon. Best time is 07:30 am - 09:30 am
Unless your gut flora is attuned to this environment, please be cautious of what you eat.
Lao Street Food - GIANT STICKY RICE Feast and Stuffed Chili Fish in Vientiane, Laos! - Mark Wiens
That Luang
A That is a holy temple and That Luang is considered the primary That in Vientiane.
That Luang - Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Embassy Compound and AAC Pool
The Embassy Compound was a collection of buildings for the America administrators.
The CIA Station had its own building.
Ambassador William H. Sullivan was the US Ambassador stationed in Vientiane and had his own office too.
AAC swimming pool was very refreshing and had a pool side café with food.
The Chinese soup was awesome.
Air America Club chits for the Pool © The author
K-6
My brothers and I school was six kilometers out of town, ergo K-6.
It was an interesting bus ride to and from every weekday.
American School of Vientiane (ASV) - © The author
Me at K-6 American School of Vientiane (ASV) - © The author
Me at K-6 PE, standing in formation -American School of Vientiane (ASV) - © The author
Me at K-6 American School of Vientiane (ASV) - © The author
Studying at K-6 American School of Vientiane (ASV) - © The author
K-9
A little village was nine kilometers out of town and called K-9.
Sometimes the Pathet Lao (PL) were active around K-6 and K-9.
Some Americas lived at K-9, but it could be dicey at times.
Rue Samsènethai
Main business road in downtown Vientiane
Weather
It was always hot and sticky, 90+ to 100 F plus 80-90 humidity.
Floods every 7 years with up to 8 foot of water in town. That is why the villagers built their houses on 10 foot stilts.
Monsoon season for a few months out of the year. Rain.
Coup Damage
In the downtown area, many of the old buildings had damage from the past few coups. Bullet holes and the like.
Wattay Airport
The airport had a public side and then the Air America / Continental / CIA side.
Wattay Airport - Prince Roy from Vientiane, Laos, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Putt-Putt Golf Course
Roger’s place, Putt-Putt Golf Course, was on the way to the Wattay airport.
My father took my brother and I to Roger’s place several times, in the evening when it was cooler.
Roger gave us all the icy cold Coke’s we could drink, playing unlimited putt-putt, could jump around to any hole and play it 10 times if we wanted.
The course was lined with bare lights on poles, strung everywhere.
The bugs and locust loved the lights. The buzzing of their wings got very noisy.
My dad and Roger would sit around and watch us play and tell stories.
Roger had a fabulous sense of humor and told me this crazy pun joke.
Why are fire engines red?
Because they’ve got 8 wheels and 4 people on them
8 + 4 = 12
There are 12 inches in a foot
One foot is a ruler
There was a ruler named Queen Elizabeth
A ship named Queen Elizabeth sails the seas
In the seas are fish
On the fish are fins
The Fins fought the Russians
And Russians are red.
The putt-putt course was kind of featured but fictionalized in the movie “Air America” with Mel Gibson. The movie did not depict Air America realistically. In the movie, the actors drank beer, and shot geckos with silenced pistols at the putt-putt course.
Roger was the one that taught my father to fly.
Water Dam
Power lines were shot down by the Pathet Lao (PL) all the time.
Dad had to go to the garage and fire up the huge, smelly, and noisy diesel generator for electricity.
For more pictures of Vientiane:
Other Links
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)