29th Oct, Thats the day I spent in Laos.
Just one hr of bus ride from Udonthani, we went to the friendship bridge and after brief pause at the immigration, we were in Laos.
Vinetian city is inhabitated by only 600k people and I didnt see any building taller than 3 storied ones. It has the look and feel of no big urban place like Bangkok or Mumbai, it look semiurban, will lush green outdoor and large sleepy, peaceful feel to the city.
Beerlao seens to be its claim to fame and the beer bought by my Vietnamese friend was indeed nice, watery, with touch of bitter afterfeel but a relatively strong to give a high at just the 2nd can.
Its rular ecomony with a emerging mining industry. One can use Lao, Thai and Us curency at ease.
Their temples stand testimony to the havoc Siam war had on the many Budha scuptures, many stand still today, broken physically at many places. The Lao guide, very pointedly refered to the injust Siam war and what it did to his country, taking away statues of Budha, destroying all but one temple in Lao. Later, my Thai friends told me that its hard to hear what one doesnt want to hear and the Siam was first attacked by Lao and not the otherway round.
I realised one more time that there is seldom one history, there is always the two sides of any stories and mostly the actual fact remain silent, lost in justifying our past. We have this habit of owningup to everything that ourforepather committed.
Its democracy with one party. The guide informed. The country got freedom in 1975. Only symbol of frech colonian past is the Paris Tower, waiting to be plastered again for the next airport project to comeup. The last time it got plastered was with cement diverted from the airport project.
Landlocked, surrounded by Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand.
Food not distinct from Thai food but the tastes are somewhat different, to me blander compared to thai food.
Didnt see many people on the road, muchless girls. They were pretty in the restauran we had our lunch on the bank of Mekong city.
Every year, after Buddhist lent, a fire ball can be seen coming up from the river, no one knows the science behind it.
It seems few years back, some people in white robe came to offer prayer at the bank of the river, once it was done, one man spoke up. His voice was different now. He said, he was the Naka and would live there. Since then, the fire ball seems to becomeing bit weaker everyyear.
A day, we went to few Buddhist temples, offered prayers, flowers, candles and incense to Idol of Buddha.
They asked if I was a Buddhist, I said,'no, but I believe in Him and so offer prayers to Him,'
Just one hr of bus ride from Udonthani, we went to the friendship bridge and after brief pause at the immigration, we were in Laos.
Vinetian city is inhabitated by only 600k people and I didnt see any building taller than 3 storied ones. It has the look and feel of no big urban place like Bangkok or Mumbai, it look semiurban, will lush green outdoor and large sleepy, peaceful feel to the city.
Beerlao seens to be its claim to fame and the beer bought by my Vietnamese friend was indeed nice, watery, with touch of bitter afterfeel but a relatively strong to give a high at just the 2nd can.
Its rular ecomony with a emerging mining industry. One can use Lao, Thai and Us curency at ease.
Their temples stand testimony to the havoc Siam war had on the many Budha scuptures, many stand still today, broken physically at many places. The Lao guide, very pointedly refered to the injust Siam war and what it did to his country, taking away statues of Budha, destroying all but one temple in Lao. Later, my Thai friends told me that its hard to hear what one doesnt want to hear and the Siam was first attacked by Lao and not the otherway round.
I realised one more time that there is seldom one history, there is always the two sides of any stories and mostly the actual fact remain silent, lost in justifying our past. We have this habit of owningup to everything that ourforepather committed.
Its democracy with one party. The guide informed. The country got freedom in 1975. Only symbol of frech colonian past is the Paris Tower, waiting to be plastered again for the next airport project to comeup. The last time it got plastered was with cement diverted from the airport project.
Landlocked, surrounded by Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand.
Food not distinct from Thai food but the tastes are somewhat different, to me blander compared to thai food.
Didnt see many people on the road, muchless girls. They were pretty in the restauran we had our lunch on the bank of Mekong city.
Every year, after Buddhist lent, a fire ball can be seen coming up from the river, no one knows the science behind it.
It seems few years back, some people in white robe came to offer prayer at the bank of the river, once it was done, one man spoke up. His voice was different now. He said, he was the Naka and would live there. Since then, the fire ball seems to becomeing bit weaker everyyear.
A day, we went to few Buddhist temples, offered prayers, flowers, candles and incense to Idol of Buddha.
They asked if I was a Buddhist, I said,'no, but I believe in Him and so offer prayers to Him,'
