Laos, which means “Land of a Thousand Elephants” in their own language, was one of the places I would love to see in Asia.. Laos is not yet a country that has been pampered by tourists like its next-door neighbor Thailand.. With a population of 6.5 million, there are more than 2000 elephants in this landlocked country, located between the borders of Thailand, Myanmar, China, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Laos, the poorest country in South Asia, lagged behind in the world. one of the few communist countries. The communist forces, which took control by overthrowing the monarchy in 1975, managed to keep the country isolated from the outside world until the 1990s.. Despite temporary reforms, the people are very poor and in need of international foreign aid.
Supported by other communist states such as China and Vietnam.. Japan is also among the countries that help.. China invests in a high-speed train project as far as Laos. The government, which has started to follow more liberal policies since 2005, opened the stock market in 2011.
More than three-quarters of the country’s land is covered with mountains, the settlements are mostly built around the famous Mekong River and half-broken roads connecting the city and towns.. A large part of the country consists of untouched forests.. Apart from the production of mainly rice, vegetables, fruits, cotton and spices, the so-called “golden triangle” has also entered the world literature with the cultivation of heroin and opium. I bought a ticket for the bus (800THB, 46TL). After a 10-hour journey, we arrived at the Nong Khai border crossing between Thailand and Laos.. After crossing the “Brotherhood Bridge” built in the 1990s on the Mekong River between Thailand and Laos, we were transferred to another tourist minibus and arrived in Vientiane, the capital city, after a 3 hour journey. I settled in Haysoke Guest House, the first hotel I found randomly walking around the streets (100.000KIP, 22TL). The main reason for my preference was the art gallery atmosphere that the interesting hand-carved tables and buddha statues gave to the hotel in the lobby of the hotel.. Since the price was reasonable, I did not need to look for another hotel.. Hotel staff were also very friendly.
Vientiane is a small city of 750 thousand inhabitants by the Mekong River.. It is possible to see the effects of the years when the country was under French rule between 1893-1953, all over the city.. Vientiane is not a capital city where you will come across skyscrapers like in other capitals of Asia.. The tallest building is a 15-storey hotel built near the Mekong River.
I took a shower and stepped outside.. My first job was to buy myself a GSM card, as always.. I bought my Beeline sim card with a monthly internet usage option of 500 MB (35,000KIP, 8TL). It is possible to find sandwiches between warm bread almost everywhere in the city.. It was a good option for breakfast.
After visiting the city’s market, I stopped by the Tourism Office and got a map of the country.. In the office, all important information about the country is written on the boards in English.. It’s easy to find out where and what.
When you go along the street where the tourism office is located, you reach one of the most remarkable monuments in Vientiane.. Patuxai (Victory Monument), resembling Paris’ Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysées Street, the emblem of the nation of France, is an impressive statue depicting the gods Vishnu, Brahma and Indra on the ceiling of the monument with four gates made with Buddhist ornamental art. There is an ornament.
II. Dedicated to the soldiers who died during the independence of Laos from France after World War II.. The architect who designed the design was paid one third of the price I paid for the hotel, that is 7TL!. Compared to its exterior architecture, the interior architecture consists of sloppy and completely unpainted concrete.. It is also a good place to take pictures and view the park and the capital from above.
The shade of palm trees surrounding the pool in the park is a suitable place to relax.. At the end of the park, there is a gong symbolizing world peace, with the flags of all the countries of the world, sent as a gift to Laos by Indonesia.
I visited the Mekong Riverside Park on foot after the park.. In this park next to the Mekong River, there is a huge statue of the folk hero Chao Anouvong facing the river.. While I was taking pictures of the surroundings, Laotian students walking around the park were also taking my picture.. On the way back to the hotel, I sat down and chatted with a few students sitting in the park.. Even though their English was negligible, they were quite entertaining.
Ate in the restaurants that make delicious sandwiches, rested in a green and peaceful park, in the small capital Vientiane, which has a friendly and sincere atmosphere, I wandered around the bougainvillea streets and markets and tried to get to know the city and its people.. I did all this after a 13 hour night bus ride, it was a long day. Now it was time to take a good night’s sleep.
Day 568: Laos:1, Vientiane, 22 February 2012