Foto: The National Monument in Vientiane (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Laos - We continue walking toward Patuxai, the victory monument in Vientiane. The colossal monument stands prominently at a road intersection. From here, it’s still over a kilometer’s walk to Pha That Luang, the national monument. We take a tuk-tuk. At exactly two o’clock, we arrive at the national temple of Laos. In the nearby Wat That Luang Neua temple, a service is underway with monks. The patriarch has just arrived and leads the prayer. With appropriate respect, we kneel at the back of the temple. I take a few photos of the service in the meantime. Especially when all the monks bow forward simultaneously, it’s a beautiful sight. Pha That Luang is a golden stupa that shines brightly in the sunlight. According to legend, a bone of Buddha from 600 B.C. lies here. However, this has never been proven. We want to return to the city center by tuk-tuk. Suddenly the price back is 60,000 Kip (about 6 dollars). We find this too much. When we start walking away, someone is willing to take us for 20,000 Kip, much to the annoyance of his colleague.
Plain of Jars
Laos - At half past seven, we drive towards the Valley of the Jars. These mysterious jars are scattered over three sites in an area of thirty by thirty kilometers. Along the way, we also see the heavy bomb craters in the landscape from the Vietnam War in 1960–1970. ...
The temples of Luang Prabang
Laos - Luang Prabang is a large city in Laos, with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Yet I don’t feel overwhelmed as I walk along the main street in the city center. The historic center is located on a peninsula and is surrounded by high cliffs. On both sides ...