Landlocked by Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and China in the north, Laos lies an oasis of calm, a country of peaceful people, with a population of less than 8 million. Landing in Vientiane, originally a French trading post, now the present capital city, we drive down a sparsely motored road to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the only chain hotel to keep the international traveller happy.Its modern architecture and décor, spacious bedrooms, a state-of-the-art gymnasium and spa, three unique restaurants and bar coupled with the warmth of Laotian hospitality made us feel at home instantly.Of course, there are many excellent Lao style boutique hotels and resorts to choose from, if one prefers, but we went for Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Our guide arrived to take us to watch the sunset over the Mekong River, which sadly at this season was half dry. Nevertheless, with the riverfront as the main local recreation space, we watched the sunsetting to the loud blare of aerobic music, while the instructor shouted out the counts for the ‘free for all’ exercise session over a loudspeaker. Though disturbing, I was impressed.
The night market runs parallel, stretching out in front of us. We were told that till 2019, it was filled with local handloom and handicraft. But to our disappointment, we learned that post the COVID 19 pandemic, the stalls only sell clothing for the local people which comes from Thailand.
The next day, we went touring the city. The Pha That Luang is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa in the centre of the city of Vientiane, the pinnacle of which alone is pure gold. It is the national icon and most important monument in Laos, a perfect example of Laotian architecture.
We then headed to Patuxai, the Arc de Triumph of Laos, one of the most aesthetic structures. The Wat Si Saket is one of the older temples which escaped the ravages of war. The ancient temple is now a Buddha museum and houses over 6,800 statues of Buddha found in excavations around the country. A walk around it is a must — His (Buddha’s) many different expressions are enlightening, to say the least. Across the road, we came to the Haw PhraKaew, a temple built in 1505 in order to house the Emerald Buddha which is now in Bangkok.
Our next stop was the COPE — a rehabilitation and artificial limb centre. It was heartrending to watch the videos of bombshells as recent as 1965 by the US Army for nine consecutive years alongside the Vietnam War. The damage still exists in landmines, and when President Obama visited the centre during his tenure, he apologised, also vowing to make amends.
The afternoon took us to visit the Buddha Park, 25 km out of the city. The Xieng Khuanor or the Spirit City is a park which exhibits over 200 sculptures and religious images in all shapes and sizes. We certainly managed to pack in much on day two. And we are glad we did.
A short flight the next day landed us to Luang Prabang, a charming little city nestled in the heart of the mountainous region of Laos. Once the seat of the monarchy, the palace was built by a French architect when the French wanted to move the king from his modest home by the river to a grand palace. This is one of the most interesting sites of the city. Before we could make an entry, our guide Mr Bee sat us down under a tree in a garden and gave us a detailed history of the monarchy and the politics of that time. Mr Bee was a storehouse of information throughout our travel, and we are so grateful to him.
The Grand Palais houses large halls and windows, teak wood floorings, chandeliers and golden thrones. We entered the first half which has an exquisitely carved golden throne, but not for the king; it is for the head monk who is much revered and the hall is where all religious rites are conducted.The central courtroom hall, by far the most magnificent, has an even bigger throne for the monarch and small ones for his family. The ceiling and walls are deep maroon and artistically covered with depictions in glass mosaic of scriptures and stories. Simply stunning!
The Palais and its artifacts were well worth the visit. Outside in one corner of the manicured gardens is Haw Pha Bang, the royal Chapelle. It houses Luang Prabang, most sacred idol, a solid golden statue of the Buddha, 33 inches in height in the Abhayamudra, dispelling fear and offering protection to those who guard it. It originally came as a gift from Sri Lanka.
We move on to a few of the numerous temple complexes the city is famous for. Wat Xieng Thong was perhaps the most beautiful and richly decorated. The architectural style of the sweeping roofs in 3 tiers is seen in all the Lao temples. The most impressive was the SIM or congregational hall; both the exteriors and interiors are extensively covered with intricate gold stenciling on the black lacquer. Inside, a divine golden statue of a seated Buddha glows in the light of candle flames. The outer back wall of the temple is covered with a fascinating glass mosaic against a burnt orange background. This was one piece that remains most special to me.
The tree of life, with Buddha on the top and a little man walking below, in one corner the depiction of a jataka tale of a tiger wanting to eat the goat and her young one; the tiger is convinced of his wrong and opts to follow the dharmic path!
Moving on to the sight of the day — the famous Kuang Si Waterfalls. We were happy to stretch our legs as a good walk took us through a lush evergreen forest to reach this thunderous cascade of water. Not only was it a feast for the eyes, but also balm for the soul. It is nature at her best.
We took some rest to soak in the sounds of both the forest and the falls before we headed out. The exit was more interesting than ever; there were food stalls selling fresh fruits, enviably juicy and colourful, cling wrapped on thermocol plates as were the snacks of fried and salted cockroaches and grasshoppers, so also the roadside barbecues of the Indochine countries. The vendors were special, Laotian people are blessed with beauty.
We went checking out cottage industries in the afternoon. First to the local weaving centre, the women have an intrinsic eye for colour and design and their age-old traditions of weaving produce some spectacular weaves. We couldn’t resist bringing some home. On to the indigo dying studio, the process was most interesting as was the paper-making factory from the bark of the mulberry tree. We watched the making step-by-step as also the process of using dried flowers to decorate the various paper
products. So pretty!
We then headed down to the river passing a local rice whisky factory, very unusual and all along the way, the hill tribe women displayed their hand embroidery skills — exquisite and vibrantly hued. The Lao people, though not advanced in today’s context, are skilled beyond measure in all their handcrafts.
We reached the river and boarded our very comfortable boat for a ride on the Mekong. The ride was soothing as we watched the hills and passed by the villages over tea and cookies. The sun was setting, reflecting in the rippled waters as we reached the city. Our dinner was at the 3 Nagas Restaurant where we had the provincial cuisine and were entertained with song and dance by the hill tribe girls.
The next morning was the French quarter, quaint cafés and shops in the French style homes of the past. We enjoyed a luscious sandwich in freshly baked sour dough bread and coffee at café Zurich. We returned to our hotel, atop a small mount with the most spectacular views of this little city below, grateful for the beauty we woke up to each day of our stay. So many memories to take home...
We left Laos with many thoughts — Laos, a country of lovely people, gentle, kind and welcoming, unspoiled by the developed world. Buddhism resonates the land and its tenets have influenced its people making them devout and accepting; you see the humility and the generosity in the early morning ritual when hundreds of monks from different monasteries walk the streets collecting alms from people who come to feed them.
The journey ahead is long. Laos has far to go, especially in the areas of education, healthcare, infrastructure and industry. At present, the main source of income is from the export of hydro electric power, organically grown produce and tourism.They are doing all they can to teach English to the generation next. Investments are mostly from China, and their sister countries Thailand and Vietnam, whose fusion of food has created the Lao cuisine.
Our five-day travel was a learning experience; an experience of wonder, peace and calm unlike the fast pace of metropolitan cities of the world, and though the days were packed, we came home most refreshed.
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