Jaunted

Lao National Museum:
Located in Vientiane, Laos, the country’s capital, its primary purpose is to adulate the Communist revolution from French rule in the 1970s. Still, the museum is situated in a distinctly French colonial building. Last year, the United States funded a restoration project at the museum. It seems America's come a long way from the days when it equated Southeast Asian communism with worldwide apocalypse.

Russian Market, Phnom Penh:
Called Psar Toul Tom Poung in Khmer, this one-story, bustling market sells everything from days-old unrefrigerated meat (yum!) to Pantene Pro-V shampoo to hand-woven silk. Its name comes from the hordes of Russian expats who shopped at the market during the 1980s. It seems these war-hardened people were the only tourists daring enough to visit Cambodia during the tumultuous and often violent period.

Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City:
It's like the White House's leftist doppelganger, with Uncle Ho replacing George Washington. The square, cement behemoth was rebuilt after a seemingly endless barrage of bombings throughout the middle of the 20th century. Today, its giant meeting rooms await occasional visits from the Hanoi government, and tanks sit in the front yard to commemorate the day in 1975 when Viet Kong forces came in and "liberated" the south. The building's rooftop has a refreshment bar and offers great views of the tree-lined city.

Related Stories:
· HCMCs War Memorials [Jaunted]
· Southeast Asia Field Trip [Jaunted]