Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world. Even the capital, Vientiane>, is a city far from the usual concept of a city.. It is possible to walk around the city easily from one end to the other.. Vientiane, which means the City of Sandal, has a population of over 200,000, but if you remove the foreign embassies in the city, it seems as if nothing will remain. they continue their old animist beliefs. It is possible to see Buddhist monks in their saffron-colored clothes walking anywhere in cities and towns.. Although it is not as crowded as Thailand’s Buddhist temples, Loas people also visit temples frequently.
The largest temple in the country, That Luang is the symbol of the country as well as the symbol of Laos Buddhism.. It is possible to see the temple, which is a source of pride for Laotians, on the country’s coins.. It has undergone many renovations in the past.. Although there is no evidence to prove this, it was used to protect Buddha’s breastbone in 3 BC.. It was built as a temple in the 16th century.
The temple, which rises in the form of rectangular walls in gold color, also has a very simple appearance.. Unlike many other Buddhist temples, it lacks gaudy interiors and architecture.. It resembles some kind of pyramid-like structure. People kneeling on the grass in the garden surrounding the temple on religious and national days, face the temple and pray.
I used to spend my days in Istanbul Restaurant.. The owners of the restaurant, brother İdris and sister Songül, took Sedat and me on a picnic to Budha Park. Despite being so close to the city and receiving a lot of visitors, most of the road to Buddha Park was rough and muddy.. We set a very nice breakfast table with the delicious breakfast cheese, olives, boiled eggs and vegetables that we filled in our basket.. We enjoyed a very pleasant and delicious breakfast at the table under the shade of a big tree right next to the park.. The park consists of giant sculptures filled with ornate, aesthetic as well as strange and interesting figures of people, animals, gods and demons.. When you first come to the park, you will feel as if you are walking in an ancient discovery, but the park, built by a Buddhist monk named Luang Pu, in 1958, is made of concrete you know.. Depictions of Shiva, Vishnu and Arjuna and Buddha adorn the park.
The most interesting part of the park is the giant pumpkin-like statue depicting Earth, Heaven and Hell.. You enter the place representing the 3 meter high devil head from the position of the mouth of the statue.. Although it looks like a labyrinth, it is possible to go upstairs by stairs.. Each staircase depicts the way to heaven. From here, you can watch the magnificent view of more than 200 statues and figures in the park.. Another interesting statue in the park is the 120-meter-long reclining Buddha.
This land, where millions of tons of bombs fell, welcomes new foreign travelers.. As the weather cools in the evening, the streets are full of tourists.. The heart of the city beats around the Mekong River. Laotian youths rushing into the parks or promenades along the Mekong as they finish their work or leave school towards sunset. On my last day in Laos, I was mingling with that crowd and watching the sunset over the Mekong River.
Day 594: Laos:26. vientiane. Sunday, March 18, 2012