Days 13-16 (February 22-25, 2024): LAOS

With a population of 7.6 million, Laos is a former French trading post.  It became a French protectorate at the end of the 19th century, when its capital was renamed to Vientiane (population 1 million) and was rebuilt to become one of the classic Indochinese cities along with Pnom Penh in Cambodia and Saigon in Vietnam. Laos is a landlocked country and shares a border with Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and China. Vientiane itself is separated from Thailand only by the Mekong River, which serves as the border point. 

Trying to summarize the country’s history is no easy task. We visited a military museum to try to figure it out, but came out quite confused, largely due to an incoherent presentation on the museum’s part.  But in short, it was colonized by the French from the late 19th century until they were booted out in 1953. This time infused Laos with a European cultural element, which intensified throughout the country’s embroilment in World War II and the Indochina wars, as well as a civil war of its own in the second half of the 20th century. Laos partnered with Vietnam to defeat the Americans in the Vietnam war, and it emerged from all that turmoil in 1975 as a communist country, which it fervently remains today. Economic reforms of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including the development of tourism, have strengthened Laos’s economy, gradually shrinking its debt and diminishing its dependence on international aid. 

We arrived in Laos on Thursday afternoon and left the country on Sunday morning. Our time was limited to exploring Vientiane, which we covered well, I think. There are so many Buddhist temples in the city:  we couldn’t visit them all, but we took in the top ones. There are a few other key sites and a couple of museums in the city which we covered. 

You will also note in the pictures below that we visited an organization that makes prosthetic devices for those who have lost limbs due to Loas being littered with unexploded devices from the Vietnam War period. It is estimated that 10 to 30% of all the bombs dropped on the country did not detonate. This has resulted in up to 80 million unexploded ordinances, which are still causing great injuries to this day.  Laos, in fact, is the worst country in the world in terms of unexploded devices per capita.  The visit to the organization was a particularly moving experience. 

Finally, we tried to take in the luxury of the Crowne Plaza Vientiane, where we stayed, as our time in Laos coincided with the two-week mark in our trip, and we really were in need of some rest. 

Hopefully, the photos below will provide an overview of this very interesting but small country. 

(“Wat” means temple - please bear that in mind in the titles below.)

Wat That Dam (16th century Buddhist Stupa, also known as the Black Stupa)

A nice square in the heart of Vientiane. 

Wat Si Saket (built 1819-1824)

Buddhist monks enjoying a not-so-austere moment during a festival at the temple.

Patuxai 

The main Avenue in Vientiane is Th Lan Xang. It is a very wide thoroughfare that has the palace at the southern end, and a replica of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe at the northern end, adjacent to the National Assembly. Its official name is Patuxai or “Victory Gate”. It was built in the 1960s using cement donated by the United States that was intended to construct an airport! The monument commemorates those who died in the pre-revolutionary wars.

The top of the monument has wonderful views of the city.

The view looking south towards the palace.

The view looking north.

There is a huge drum on the Patuxai site that was gifted to the country

Laos is one of the world’s few openly communist states. It is a one-party state, and the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party holds ultimate power and authority over the state and government.

Wat That Luang

Missionaries from India arrived in the third century B.C., and built a ‘stupa’ on this site to encase part of the breast bone of the Buddha.  Wat That Luang is now considered to be the most important Buddhist site in the country, and also stands as a symbol of Lao sovereignty.  Although the golden stupa above is the key attraction here, the photos below so many other buildings, and aspects of the overall site.

This man was selling cages of little birds for worshippers to purchase — not to sacrifice, but rather to release during their religious observations.

Lao Peoples’ Army History Museum

This art installation outside the museum shows the pride of the Lao People's Army in defeating the invaders, and achieving communism for their country.

From top to bottom, inside and out, there are examples of military hardware, and bombs that were donated by the USSR.

A helicopter and bombs captured from the Americans are proudly displayed. 

These wax figures show the full order of rankings in Loas’ military.

The scene reenact the coming together, in partnership of the armies of both Laos and Vietnam to fend off the Americans. 

A huge mural in the museum commemorates the 75th anniversary of the country’s military.

Wat Mixayaran

Even Buddhist monks have to do their laundry.

Wat Ong Tu

Wat That Khao

Southeast Asia has many examples of large, gold-painted reclining Buddhas.  Vientiane is no exception.  

Wat Inpeng

COPE

The Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) was created to help victims who have lost limbs due to the estimated 80 million unexploded devices that still litter the Laotian countryside as a result of the bombs dropped during the war in the 60s and 70s

These small ball-like devices are known among the people of Laos as “ bombies”. Larger bombs were dropped, which scattered many of these smaller bombies. 

Wat Si Muang Temple

Live birds for release, as well as marigolds, figure largely into Buddhist worship.

A street vendor preparing food for worshippers at this busy temple complex on a Saturday morning.

The Vientiane City Pillar Shrine

The Lao Textile Museum

Clockwise from top left, this shows how silk threads are made from silkworm cocoons. 

A Lao loom

Examples of traditional Lao dress

Fabric dyeing

We were served Butterfly Pea Tea. When it was presented to us, it was blue, but as soon as we added a few drops of fresh lime and stirred it, it turned purple!

An example of a wooden canoe and chili peppers at the museum.  Lao has the hottest peppers I’ve ever experienced. I ate four at dinner that night and my mouth burned for an hour afterwards!

The Crowne Plaza Vientiane 

and some examples of food we enjoyed there 

Built around seven years ago, the Crowne Plaza is the top hotel in Vientiane. And it was certainly busy!

The impressive lobby of the Crowne Plaza. A 500-person wedding was being planned for our last day there. Notice the flowers going up the staircase.

The pool at the Crowne Plaza as seen from our room.

Just to give you an idea of price: one afternoon, we got back to our room and decided to order some room service for lunch. A plate of pork fried rice, a wrap with fries and salad, a fruit platter and two lattes, all delivered to our room, including tax and tip, came to $23 CAD. 

Traditional Lao meal on our last night in Vientiane. The meat is duck “larb”. And those chilli peppers got progressively hotter, as they went from green to orange to red.

A Hodge-Podge of other sites

Just to show the practicality of this traditional type of straw hat from this part of Asia. It was so hot during our visit! One can understand why a hat like this would provide great shade.

We are still trying to process this scene. But, rightly or wrongly, it is allowed and normal in Laos.  People do what they have to do to survive and to get around. 

Tiny shrines like this are everywhere, not only in Laos, but throughout Southeast Asia. People leave food and liquid as Buddhist offerings.

I had been hoping to use my French a bit more than I did in Vientiane, given that the country was under French colonization for so long. However, very few people seem to speak the language anymore. There are lots of examples of French bakeries and cafés, however, in the city.

Bicycle and motorcycle tuck tucks are all over Southeast Asia. What fascinated us about Lails, is that they have enlarged their motorcycle tucks. They are almost like mini examples of the larger Jeepneys in the Philippines which expanded American military Jeeps for public transport. 

Vientiane is separated from Thailand by the Mekong River. 

The bustling night market by the Mekong River in Vientiane. You can find anything there! And below is a photo of the market by day, quite quiet and empty.