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Old scriptures at the

many temples in
Vientiane, Laos

TRAVEL

TRAVEL

MONDAY
23 June 2008

7
MONDAY
23 June 2008

The tuk-tuk is the transport of choice in Vientiane, Laos.

A Land in Limbo
BY NIKI CHEONG
IT IS hard to describe what Laos is like. Essentially, it is a
land in limbo. On the drive from the airport to the city
centre, one is greeted by the dusty roads of a third world
country. Yet there is the sense that the city is trying to
move forward.
The signboards are usually bi-lingual in Lao and
French but sometimes in English, a sign of progress
and perhaps a nod to the increase in travelers to the
area. After all, Laos, as a tourist destination is still in its
infancy having just only gained independence less than
30 years ago.
But even within the country itself, Vientiane does not
seem to fit in. The city, the only one in the whole country
of 5.7 million people, is many times more advanced than

the other parts of the country. The fact that at least 30%
of its citizens live below the poverty line poses a clear
contrast.
But it remains, without a doubt, a truly Asian city.
Even with the French influences, the many temples that
line the street at various villages around town, and
monks walking about in their orange garb are testaments to this.
The most magnificent temple is the Pha That Luang,
believed to have been build to house the breastbone of
Buddha himself. The sight of the tall stupa is captivating. Still, a visit to Vientiane is not complete without the
visit to another temple, said to be the oldest remaining
one in the city, Wat Si Saket.
Built in the early 1820s, the temple has now been
turned into a museum of sorts it houses a staggering

A wooden dragon trough used during the Lao

New Year is displayed at the Wat Si Saket.

10,000-odd sculptures of the Buddha in different forms

and sizes. Little niches in the wall hold miniature statues, while the larger ones have been laid out to be
viewed and some, worshipped.
In a small storeroom lays hundreds of headless
Buddhas destroyed over the decades by war, collected
from different areas around the city.
These are but two of the sights that tourists should
not miss. However, one need not spend too many days
in Vientiane as the other provinces in Laos such as Luang
Prabang and Van Vien holds equally exciting, if not
more, sights.
A four to five kilometre walk around the city taking
up approximately a whole day is enough but should
ideally be split into two days. Other must see sights
include the Presidential Palace and Patuxai (Arch of

Victory) a reminder of the colony days of the French.

Then, for the shopaholics, there is the Talat Sao market
where everything from jewellery, clothes and even
electronic devices are available for sale.
If you spend between two to three days in Vientiane,
you will have some extra time to explore more temples,
or perhaps you would want to pamper yourself at the
various massage spots.
There are many to choose from but the most luxurious would have to be the Papaya Spa, just a couple of
hundred metres away from the grand Mekong River,
which may be more expensive than most others in the
city but still very affordable and definitely well-worth it.
And dont you worry about the cost, food is relatively
cheap, budget airlines have made flights very affordable
and inexpensive hotels are clean and comfortable.

The magnificent gold stupa of Pha That

Luang in Vientiane, Laos, is said to
house a the Buddha's breastbone but it
has never been found.

From afar, the Patuxai (Arch of Triumph) in Vientiane, Laos, looks

European but up close, the details include traditional Lao designs
and many images of the Buddha carved onto it.

The Wat Si Saket in Vientiane, Laos, is home to over 10,000

sculptures of the Buddha in various forms and sizes.

The Presidential Palace in Vientiane, Laos was originally built for the French colonial governor,
but is mainly used for ceremonial occasions these days.