Day 5, Thursday - Vientiane

This morning we ate breakfast in our hotel again but opted for the “French breakfast” which consisted of fruit, bread and an optional omelet. After, we went sightseeing. It was challenging at first due to the sun. The heat seemed extra strong this morning and it was so bright that it was difficult to look up at the monuments for too long. Nevertheless, we bought some drinks and Shiyu purchased a hat from a vendor so we could enjoy the experience. The first place we went was to the Pha That Laung, or the sacred temple. Upon arriving, we were approached by a woman selling birds in cages. The custom is to buy the birds so that you can set them free in front of the temple in order to bring good luck. Jessie bought a pair in hopes that fortune would follow. Pha That Laung is a cultural symbol of Laos. It is a gold temple surrounded by a corridor that contained different Buddhist artifacts. Walking up to the temple from the corridor, you could see several different Buddha statues where offerings were being placed. To both the North and the South were other temples, called wats. We ventured into the Wat That Luang Tai, the temple to the south, and were able to observe the beautiful architecture. Upon entering, we removed our shoes and instantly our sight was drawn upward to the paintings on the ceiling. The artwork covered the entire space and told the story of the Buddha. Shiyu commented that the appearance of everything made it seem newly constructed. Another thing we found interesting while walking around were the animals that roamed through the grounds. We spotted some chickens and stray kittens. We also heard some very loud frogs but could not see them. Once we were done at the Pha That Luang, we went to the Patuxia. The Patuxia is reminiscent of the arches in France but is constructed with four rather than two. It is often referred to as “the vertical runway” because its funding came from a donation that was intended to be used for the airport. We were able to walk up to the highest level of Patuxia which gave us an incredible view of the city. As you traveled up, there were rooms filled with vendors. Our last stop was to the Wat Si Muang which is one of the most widely used temples. As we went through the temple, we passed many people making offerings to different Buddha statues. The whole place seemed filled with flowers, fruit and incense. We also were able to watch women practicing a form of fortune telling in Wat Si Muang. It was interesting because in western culture we do not accept fortune telling as a proper practice within the confines of religion and alms giving. In a way though, it made sense here because it is perceived that an image of Buddha found in the temple has the ability to grant wishes.