A leisurely walk from Wattay International Airport in Vientiane to the town centre which was about 5km distance takes about 30 minutes.Getting out from the airport to the main road took about 5 minutes to walk.
Just cross the traffic light junction which is Luang Prabang Road,keep walking towards your left will lead to the town centre.
Passing by Dansavanh Hotel and Nightclub,I thereafter walked into the compound of Wat Tay Yai Buddhist Temple which was preparing for a celebration during the night.
There were many stalls already gearing up for the fanfare.
There were two temples of this Siamese style architecture,the other being Wat Tay Noi also along the same row.
Wat Tay Yai is the nearest to the airport and was also bearing the same name as the airport.
The two temples were built by two sisters who were also the wives of King Sai Setthathirat I in the early 16th century.
The stairways have Nagas lining at both sides.
Nagas are half snake,half human which were being worshipped as they brought fertility and being guardians of rain.
They are protectors of spring,wells and rivers.
As the guardians of rain, you can see statues of the Buddha meditating where a seven-headed serpent has spread its hood over the Buddha's head to protect him from the rain.
In Thailand,Wat Doi Suthep in Chiangmai has a pair of huge Nagas leading to the temple.
Wat Tay Yai's temple's roof has a look alike that of the Grand Palace in Bangkok,Thailand.
The Siamese have great influenced in Laos as early as the 18th century under King Taksin who has gained authority over the Lane Xang Kingdom (namely Luang Prabang,Vientiane and Champassak)
The Buddhist Temple has an aesthetic multi four layered roof mainly due to the large prayer hall.
Perched at the end of the roof were decorative ornaments resembling a tall thin bird with hornlike and may looked like the mythical creature 'Garuda'.
Paper craft of a sedan chair that will be paraded around the temple with Lao kips pinned to it as offerings.
Entrance to the udosoth or ordination hall.
Monks at the reception tables to greet devotees for tonight temple celebration.
A mini size Pha That Luang statue in the compound of Wat Tay Yai.
Pha That Luang monument is a gold plated Great Stupa of Laos which dates back to 1556.
According to the Lao people, the temple is a lot more than just a worship place as it is believed to be extremely sacred enshrining a relic of Buddha in its stupa.
It is also the international symbol of the country and most religious monument of historic significance.
The first week of November annually is the Bun That Luang Festival and is the hearthrob of the entire nation.
The vibrant occasion begins in the 12th month of the lunar calendar on the 15th day of waxing moon (November). The three days of religious ceremony followed by a whole week of exciting festivals, going on all day and night can be observed in all the temples throughout Vientiane.
The laypeople walk in processions from the Wat Si Muang in Vientiane city towards the Pha That Luang monument.
In the Pha That Luang, the Lao people make offerings to the Monks to reflect their obedience and in hope of getting their prayers heard for a better life after recarntation.
The offerings include candles, lanterns presented in honor of Buddha.
Lao women selling 'pasaat pheung' (elongated pyramids of wax and banana stems) to participants in the annual candlelit ceremony at Wat Tay Yai. A symbol of solidarity among the communities.
Devotees will normally hung the Lao Kips currency onto the banana stems as an offering to Lord Buddha.
This is the hottest item on sale during the festival. These were made of melted candle wax and mixed with honey to produce the yellow discs, which resemble flowers.
According to legend, a monkey once offered honey to Buddha, and was reborn as a human.
This is symbolised in the use of honey in the wax.
Orange carnation flowers mixed with 'pasaat pheung' wrap in banana leaves.
Lao kips will be hung onto the jossticks.
These patterns looked quite similar to the floating 'krathongs' which were used by the Thais in Bangkok during the Loy Krathong festival which also falls on the first week of November.
Due to the current wet spell and swelling Menam Chao Phraya in Bangkok,the Loy Krathong Festival must have focussed around Chiangmai area.
Nakhon Sawan in Central Thailand was one place which I used to go and celebrate the Loy Krathong festival but this time around the aftermath of the flood must have made the event less attractive.
A local Laotian house cum office building which looks very grandeur in design.
A section of Talat Gok Pho market near Wat Tay Yai which was quite near to Wattay International Airport.
A small market but famous for the green papaya salad and cheap food for takeaway as there won't be seats around.
Somphouthong Restaurant offers Savannah Barbeque Lao-style.
Savannah refers to Savannakhet town in the south of Laos which has a border crossing to Mukdahan on Thailand side.
Mukdahan in North Eastern Thailand,Isaan Region is 642km from Bangkok.
Suzhou Restaurant has its name after Suzhou Hi-tech City about 110 km west of Shanghai in China.
Suzhou cuisines have moderately sweet sour and delicate flavors especially the famous fried freswater fish braided with flour.
Bitter bean curd which is red color is the main specialty of the Suzhou people.
Ao Zao duck noodle,sweet scented chicken,beggars chicken were part of the menus.
Arch entrance to Wat Tay Noi has a colourful temple multi tiered roof design.
Built by the second wife of King Sai Setthathirat I.
In Vientiane city Wat Inpeng is along Setthathirat Road.
Phommachack English Center is a government school along Route Luang Prabang Road.
The government is encouraging the study of English Language among the Lao people which is a vital engine of growth to Laos.
There were many other private independent English Centers such as Sharon English School, Santisouk Montisseri Preschool,Vientiane Pattana School, Eastern Star Bilingual School, AIS International School, Vientiane International School, Vientiane College, ARDA Language Center, Gold English Institue, Onny Lao English Center and many others spread all over the city.
While loitering around the quiet Wat Tay Noi,I stumbled onto one Chinese lone tourist from Xishuangbanna,the capital of Jinghong in Yunnan Province,southwest China.
Mr Wu was very kind enough to invite me for dinner at a Fujian Restaurant near the SanJiang Shopping Mall where he was putting a night off at a Chinese owned hotel.
Most of the restaurants around here operate in the morning while in the evening only a few stalls will be opened.
"San Jiang Jia Ser Chen" or San Jiang Household Furnishing Village was along the same row of shopping warehouse displaying agricultural machinery tools.
This section will be the first point of arrival in SanJiang Shopping Complexes which was quite huge the area.
Goods on display were mainly Made-in-China products. It takes about 10 minutes walk from the SanJiang Mall to the main road of Luang Prabang Road when I made my way back to the city to look for a hostel.
After 7:00pm the whole place looked a bit deserted when most of the shops were closed.
"San Jiang Ping Quan" or San Jiang Hotel is the only hotel in the area serving most of the clientele from mainland China.
Vientiane to Kunming bus also stop here for the convenience of passengers.
The rooms were all airconditioned with rates at 120,000 kips.Payment can also be in chinese renminbi currency.
Contact booking number:021-520666.
The main shopping complex of SanJiang.These were Lao angels just after work at 6:00pm on the way to the motorbike parking lot.
SanJiang Shopping Mall,presumbly the largest Chinese investment in Southeast Asia was constructed on September year 2006.
Located in Oumoung (Neua) ,village of Sikhottabong district the whole area have large open air parking spaces. Tell the tuk-tuk you want to go Talat Jin which the Lao people called it and not SanJiang they won't know.
Jin means Chinese.
