We are quickly finding the Lao capital city to be nice and small...and quiet...and navigable. For whatever reason, there isn't the same level of motorcycle or car traffic as many of the cities we have visited. Most of the locals we have met speak some english, are full of smiles and are very friendly. Fruit smoothies and french food are popular here- as are silks, carvings and weaving.
After wandering aimlessly for a while, we hired a tuk-tuk for a few hours and hit some of the major attractions. We saw the Pha That Luang (first photo), known as the most important national symbol of Laos; representing both Buddhism and sovereignty. The structure is racked with symbolism- everything from the size, color, shapes, measurements, design, number of this or that, etc hold spiritual meaning. Addi made a prayer "that she loves everything about this place, including the giant Buddha" and we were on our way.
We saw (and climbed to the top of) Patuxai, which is described as Vientiane's Arch de Triumph. I've never been to France, so I don't know, but it was pretty neat. There is a funny (but official) sign placed prominently on the structure which reads "from a closer distance, it appears even less impressive, like a monster of concrete". You read into that what you want, but I don't think Laotians are huge fans of this thing!
We visited the Haw Pha Kaeo (fourth- seventh pictures) which was built in the 1500s as a private house of worship for the king and housed the Emerald Buddha before the Siamese (Thailand) stole it and brought it to their Royal Palace (where it sits today!). The Haw Pha Kaeo is now a museum of religious art and holds some of the coolest Buddha sculptures I've seen.
It was a fun and full day wbich we wrapped up with a delicious al fresco dinner.
As a side note, my Android Pro has stopped registering data and 3G/global data is no longer working. Verizon's best answer is to exchange the device when I return to the US (argh!!). Unfortunately, this means I will only be able to publish posts when wifi is available or from Jim's laptop. I know, we are all heartbroken.
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