Shopping
On the whole, silver-work and textiles are more expensive in Vientiane than in Louang Phabang, where they're produced, and Vientiane is no bargain hunters' paradise. However, the Morning Market (Talat Sao) has good bargains in homespun cotton clothing ($2-5), lengths of silk and handicrafts; shoulder bags ( nyam) are cheap and functional, hand-woven pha biang, a long, scarf-like textile, and chequered pha khao ma, the knee-length men's sarong, are also good buys. The Lao Women's Union runs a shop called The Art of Silk, located on Manthatoulat Road near Wat Xieng Nyeun, featuring good deals on plain silk and cotton cloth from all over the country. Check the antique stores of the Morning Market and the downtown area for old or rare baskets made by the tribal peoples of Laos. These may sell for as much as $50. Sticky rice baskets and mats costing $1-3 can be found on Chao Anou Road beyond the Thong Khan Kham Market. The T'Shop Lai Gallery on Inpeng Road next to Le Vendome Restaurant specializes in unique mosaics and other handicrafts made from coconut shell; prices are fixed and a bit steep. Besides the Morning Market, most textile, souvenir and antique shops are found on Samsenthai and Setthathilat roads and along the lanes running between them. Antique brass weights, sometimes referred to as " opium weights " are usually seen in antique stores but may also be found in upscale textile shops. They cost two to five times more than in Louang Phabang and the other provinces. Opium pipes can be found in the antique shops on Samsenthai Road; real antique pipes may go for $100 or more, but new-made Vietnamese pipes cost as little as $10. Keep in mind that the customs officers in your home country may find a reason or two to confiscate such a purchase. Most antique and curio shops have a small stash of stamps , coins and banknotes from present and previous regimes. A no-name philatelic shop near the corner of Samsenthai and Pangkham roads has a wide selection. Raintrees on Nokeo Koummane Road, near La Terrasse Restaurant, has the best selection of English-language books in the city. Smaller branches are located on Pangkham Road, next to the Thai Airways office, and in the lobby of the Novotel and Lao Hotel Plaza. The government-run State Bookstore, on the corner of Manthatoulat and Setthathilat roads, has a small selection of English-language books and even a few dusty titles from the Soviet era.
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