1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #415 - Talat Sao and Laotian street food, Vientiane

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #415

- Talat Sao and Laotian street food, Vientiane

 

(The Talat Sao morning market was a pleasant 15min walk away from our Ibis Hotel in the cool 23C sunrise walk. We thought this morning market was all a Laotian hoax when we saw only a regular mall, until we found it tucked away some 100m away behind the mall. And it was a hive of activity - not unlike the Chatuchak market in Bangkok. We grab a kilo of sweet longan for just S$1.90. But the street food here was our best deal, with choices which suit our palate nicely, especially a corner shop selling delicious lor-bak for S$2 a plate. And those spring-rolls melt in our mouths - yum!)

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #414- That Luang Golden Stupa and Patuxay Victory Gate, Vientiane

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #414

- That Luang Golden Stupa and Patuxay Victory Gate, Vientiane

 

(Towards the end of our day tour, we visited the That Luang Golden Stupa, the national symbol for Laos. Though not as imposing as the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon - click here: Shwedagon Pagoda - its structure is quite unique, with 500lbs of gold leaves pasted on it to give it the golden hue. The Patuxay Victory Gate rounded out our tour of Vientiane, aptly named after their victory of the French colonialists. It resembles the Arc de Triomph in Paris. We climbed the 60-odd steps up this gate, which gave a grand view of this central part of the Vientiane city)

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #413 - Buddha Park, Vientiane, Laos

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #413

- Buddha Park, Vientiane, Laos

 

(Some 40mins ride away from Vientiane is this Buddha Park, where a combination of over 200 Buddhist and Hindu concrete statues were created by a priest. Near the entrance is this pumpkin-like structure which resembles Heaven, Hell and Earth, as you climb from the bottom to the top. However, the reclining Buddha is the main attraction, at 40m long. The park sits by the Mekong river - sipping coconuts at one of its attap huts affords a serene view across this hugely important river for the Laotian and Thais alike)

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #412 - Wat Sisaket and Hor Phra Keaw, Vientiane, Laos

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #412

- Wat Sisaket and Hor Phra Keaw, Vientiane, Laos

 

(The many Wats or temples here make this visit a similar experience to Bangkok's. 2 that stood out are the Wat Sisaket, Vientiane's oldest and Hor Phra Keaw, which used to be the royal temple. The 120 Buddha statues at Wat Sisaket along the corridor of this temple grounds make this a favourite site for devotees that would pray for a life that reaches a 120years, according to our local guide, ViengKhem. The structure of the temple is reminiscent of Thailand's Royal Temple. The history of Laos and Thailand is well intertwined during the 18th and 19th century, before it became a French territory from 1890's. In fact, this intertwining becomes obvious - the famous Emerald Buddha in Bangkok once resided here at Hor Phra Keow. The guide reaffirmed that my birthdate, being a Tuesday, relates to the reclining Buddha - this may explain my good sleep, most nights)