VIENTIANE, LAOS
When I asked my good friend Bill about things to do in Vientiane (a city he loves), he actually told me "not a lot." Which I've since found out is a pretty fair assessment. But I guess that's what makes it appealing to some; it's a laid-back kind of city that's best for quiet activities like drinking a Beerlao and watching the sunset along the Mekong.
That being said, there are a couple of minor tourist sights to see, and I dutifully visited both of them today.
The first is Patuxay (literally, "victory gate"), a monument in the center of town that's basically a knockoff of Paris' Arc de Triomphe. Well, maybe that's a little unfair, because it does have some typically Laotian architectural details, but that's what everyone compares it to. (Ironically, it's a monument to those who fought for Laos' independence from France.) Up close it's a lot less spectacular than its famous relative, as most of it is grey, unfinished concrete with lots of cracks and some really shoddy workmanship. The best part is that you can pay a couple thousand kip to climb up through it to the top, and from there you can get a pretty good bird's-eye view of the city.
From there I decided to hoof it a couple more kilometers to Vientiane's most famous landmark, Pha That Luang. It's a Buddhist temple that was built on the site of several other temples, dating back to the original 3rd Century one which was supposedly built to house a sacred relic: the breast bone of the Buddha himself. It's the national symbol of Laos, and its architecture is striking; a square of spires surrounding a central stupa, all painted in gold. It's supposed to be best viewed in the late afternoon as the sun reflects off it. Unfortunately it was overcast when I got there, so it didn't shine as much, although it was still beautiful to see.
PS--Happy birthday, Jenny!!
When I asked my good friend Bill about things to do in Vientiane (a city he loves), he actually told me "not a lot." Which I've since found out is a pretty fair assessment. But I guess that's what makes it appealing to some; it's a laid-back kind of city that's best for quiet activities like drinking a Beerlao and watching the sunset along the Mekong.
That being said, there are a couple of minor tourist sights to see, and I dutifully visited both of them today.
The first is Patuxay (literally, "victory gate"), a monument in the center of town that's basically a knockoff of Paris' Arc de Triomphe. Well, maybe that's a little unfair, because it does have some typically Laotian architectural details, but that's what everyone compares it to. (Ironically, it's a monument to those who fought for Laos' independence from France.) Up close it's a lot less spectacular than its famous relative, as most of it is grey, unfinished concrete with lots of cracks and some really shoddy workmanship. The best part is that you can pay a couple thousand kip to climb up through it to the top, and from there you can get a pretty good bird's-eye view of the city.
From there I decided to hoof it a couple more kilometers to Vientiane's most famous landmark, Pha That Luang. It's a Buddhist temple that was built on the site of several other temples, dating back to the original 3rd Century one which was supposedly built to house a sacred relic: the breast bone of the Buddha himself. It's the national symbol of Laos, and its architecture is striking; a square of spires surrounding a central stupa, all painted in gold. It's supposed to be best viewed in the late afternoon as the sun reflects off it. Unfortunately it was overcast when I got there, so it didn't shine as much, although it was still beautiful to see.
PS--Happy birthday, Jenny!!
posted by John Kuge at 8:23 PM
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