Vientiane - 1.5 days on a temple and museum tour

Yesterday, I took the bus from Vang Vieng to Vientiane around noon. This time, I opted against the Lao Train because the surrounding logistics with security checks, prior check-in times, and the train stations located outside the cities felt too complicated and time-consuming. I was picked up almost on time from the hotel by a tuk-tuk, and we headed straight to the bus station. The two Chinese travelers from the tour the day before were already in the tuk-tuk, and the British couple from the same tour joined us. It's not uncommon to run into the same people again here, so it was nice to have immediate contact and conversation. By the time we arrived at the bus station in the tuk-tuk, the bus was quite full, and I quickly found a seat in the aisle of the minibus. It was cozy, but everything was fine, and the total travel time of 2.5 hours flew by. Upon arriving in Vientiane, I had just under a 10-minute walk to the hotel, and check-in went quickly. My room looked, once again, nothing like the photos on the booking website, and the furnishings had clearly seen several generations of guests, but it was still acceptable and clean. It was still early afternoon, and I could go for a stroll around the city. I set off. One thing I noted was that everything here is much more leisurely and calmer than in the previous capitals of Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and Hanoi, which can be quite pleasant. I first walked around the corner to the 'Black Stupa,' then visited a few more beautiful temple complexes, occasionally passing by the inaccessible presidential palace, and sat down for a while in smaller parks to escape the heat. Everything was easily walkable. It seemed a larger group of French retirees was also following a similar route, and I often tried to escape their quick pace. In the evening, I headed to a nice restaurant to combat dehydration and enjoy a tasty meal. I also had my sights set on a rock bar with supposed live music afterward. However, that turned out to be a disappointment that evening. The mosquitoes also bothered me, so I retreated to my air-conditioned hotel room. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes didn't stop tormenting me there either and kept me awake a bit during the night... In the morning, I lingered in bed a bit longer before sneaking down to an extensive breakfast around 9:00. Afterward, I took care of the check-in and immigration formalities for my upcoming flight to Malaysia and planned the rough itinerary for Malaysia, which meant it was almost noon by the time I set out again. I did visit some temples, but I was mainly interested in the COPE museum. Laos was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War by the Americans, and many bombs remain unexploded throughout the country. Laos has the highest bombing density in the world. Gradually, especially in rural areas, efforts are still being made to defuse unexploded ordnance, educate the population about the dangers, and assist victims through surgeries and the provision of prosthetics. It was a well-made exhibition. Afterwards, I visited a few more temples and monuments along the way but decided to take it easy due to the extreme heat and the restless sleep from the night before, and I also wanted to cool off and relax by using the hotel pool. Thus, I let the last evening in Vientiane and Laos wind down quietly with my steadfast mosquito companions...