Vientine, Laos - Dear Luna

Dear Luna,

When I was younger, I saw his carton picture in a history book at school, showing the fear that people had when it came to electricity. The sky was filled with thousands of spider-webbed wires going from the electricity pole to all of the buildings around them. Here, I am in the capital of Laos and this cartoon has come to life. When arriving here, all I could do is peer out of the car window, staring with amazement at all of this. I understand why many people were trembling with living in a world that looked like it was being taken over, because seeing this in real life, gives an allure of dystopian. 

Even though this city gives this sort of vibe, the warmth here compared to Hanoi, Vietnam is one that I am enjoying so much. Our days are spent in shorts and t-shirts, whilst back at home, our family is all stuck wearing wooly jumpers. And away from the wires that scar the blue sky, are the temples that bless this capital with beauty. In the 1800s, Vientiane was stuck with a great fire that ruined the capital, and for sixty years no one lived here. But when Laotian people came back to this part of the country, one temple was still standing. Known as Wat Si Saket, the age can clearly be seen in this temple. Many of the Buddhas are broken, and the coloured walls are now dulled due to time. But standing in the worshiping hall, where you have to take your shoes off, really takes you back to a time when this temple was at its prime.

All of the other temples which I have seen during my time here have all been restored and have a clear influence from Buddhism, Hinduism as well as the French. Most of these temples have been painted with gold and red, and hold the history of this capital. 

But I must say, Luna, my favourite place which I luckily had the opportunity to visit is the Buddha Park. Here, you will find over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues, with each of these statues holding a story. Even though most of these tales are most likely just folklore, I personally like to believe that they hold some truth. Can you imagine, half human and half cobra living in the waters of the Mekong River, the river which you can see from this park that dived Thailand and Laos? 

Perhaps it's the writer within me that makes me hope that these legends have some sort of truth, a secret history that most of us do not see any truth in because we were simply not alive during the times when these creatures lived. 

I do think I enjoyed this stay slightly more than Hanoi. Although that city was thriving with life and bubbling with movement, it was slightly too hectic for me. Whereas here, every evening from five is the food market around the corner to us, where we can walk down and have some food if we want. Although, most of the time, my cousin and I simply go and buy a sweet potato cake --- pure vegan and very tasty.

I cannot believe that my second country in Asia is coming to an end, it's rather crazy that our first part of this trip has reached its halfway point. Next stop is Thailand, visiting Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phucket. 

Until next time, Luna ❤️❤️❤️