Part 1

Today was my first day of a week-long ‘small group’ cultural tour of central Laos. Not since altitude sickness at Titicaca have I shared a cultural experience with others, and I do so with some trepidation. Why would I want to be with Richard from Royal Tunbridge Wells when I crave the accolade of being the most boring person on the trip? So the ‘ jammy dodger’ that I am was surprised to find out that the small group, maximum of six people, is actually a maximum of one. Me! The tour guide, Alounthone (Tony), had no idea that I was about to hit him with a pre-prepared list of probing questions on: life in Laos, politics, history, Buddhism, family life (wife and 3 teenage daughters), and his views on x, y, and zee. Oh, how he wishes Richard were joining!

So, I am now sitting in the back of a 6-seater black Vito with Tony and the driver, Pakse, heading to the main tourist sights of Vientiane. Firstly, the two main temple sites, then the so-called Arc de Triomphe and finally, soberingly, Part 2, the COPE centre.

I learnt so many things today and will summarise the best I can… okay, Tony, thank you…Keep it short!

Firstly, Asia’s oldest Homo sapiens skeleton was discovered in a cave in Laos in 2009 and carbon-dated to 86,000 years old. If anyone ever questions Laos’s right to exist, I would remind them of this fact.

Their history of invasions, wars, alliances, kingdoms, blends of religion and now communism is so complicated, but then things seem to work here. The religion clearly underpins everything, and Tony himself, a monk for 3 years (as he said everyone should be), described the importance of teaching your children this value system visiting the temple at least once a week, with his family, matching whatever date was on the lunar calendar.

On the day tour, we saw the Presidential Palace, the Prime Minister’s Palace, the Governors’ (or Mayors’) Palace, the People’s Palace, and finally the Buddhist Palace. Many centres of power all located so close together. A six-monthly meeting apparently gathers all parties to discuss ideas, but I suppose it is the voice of ‘the party’ that dominates. The Lao national flag and the hammer and sickle flutter side by side in most locations.

China is becoming increasingly influential. Building them a super-fast train line (which I will take later in the week) and shiny new shopping malls. Every other car is a BYD, and Tony says that of the record-making 4 million visitors last year, three-quarters were from China. The reason he was trying to improve his smattering of Mandarin and sending his girls to special classes at the weekends.

The relationship with the US I will cover in Part 2. Tony voiced that Laos have strong relationships with all neighbours.

Who knew that Buddha had 40 postures and different appearances in different parts of the world. In Laos, Buddha has longer ear lobes and all fingers and toes are of equal length ( pic below). Also postures represent days of the week. I didnt know this. So, for example, the Meditative Buddha ( hands in the lap but palms facing upwards) is prayed to on Wednesdays and may be your auspicious Buddha if you were born on a Wednesday.

The first temple complex visited was Wat Si Saket. The oldest in Vientiane built in 1819-24 by the last Monarch of the country. It is said that there are 10,000 Buddha statues here, with many small statues sitting 2 and 3 abreast in small lotus shaped niches in the quadrangled buildings surrounding the main temple. Although, the temple looked a bit jaded, and not like it’s shiny cousin we would go on to see, I loved it for its understated simplicity.

Then on to the glossy neighbour Pha That Luang ( or Great Stupa). This is the most important national monument in the country comprising of the Golden Stupa ( impenetrable and said to contain the Buddha’s breastbone bought here in 3rd century BCE from India), 3 temples, the Buddhist Palace and a massive reclining Buddha – representing his last moments of illness before entering Nirvana. I too would be happy to go to Nirvana after seeing this incredible blaze of red and gold in the temples against a blue, blue sky. So amazing! The hero shot here is the modern temple on this site used each day by the resident monks. Stunning colours, brightness and openness to the elements. Just beautiful.

No…lunch not required. If okay for you lets keep moving…?

Next, to visit the Patuxai, or Laos’s own Arc de Triomphe, built by the French during the 1950’s occupation. It straddles their version of the Champs-Élysées, leading to the Presidential Palace, set off into the distance that backs onto the Mekong. It must have made the ‘visitors’ feel right at home. After seeing the incredible internal painted ceiling, it was time to clamber up the 200 steps in 35-degree heat and high humidity to survey the city from the highest vantage point. Well worth it.

Tony did not join me on the climb. I think he saw it as a timely breather from my incessant questions.