Vientiane, The Capital of Laos

Vientiane has many beautiful temples, and I’d like to share a few of them with you.

In the picture below, I found the juxtaposition below interesting — the old and the modern, both coexisting.

In one general area we saw the Sacred Stupa, and many other beautiful wats and statues.

The Sacred Stupa below is the biggest I’ve seen so far — the reason being is that it may have the collarbone of Buddha.

A pagoda on the same premises.

A few photos of me in meditation pose in the temple.

A simple statue. Honoring the Buddha within.

The Sacred Stupa can be seen from temple.

I walk around into another temple area, discovering more beauty.

A giant thirty-foot buddha statue.

Nagas (seven-headed serpent). This is beginning to feel a bit Hindu.

Multiple arms? Feeling more Hindu.

Garuda! A mythical bird in both Hinduism and Buddhism.

It was interesting to see a blend of Buddhism and Hinduism in the above statues. It was familiar yet new for me.

This is the last major city we visit in Laos. After this Dev and I head to Four Thousand Islands.

Here we spend a lot of time in our simple bungalows, on a small sleepy island, relaxing. I enjoyed doing yoga and meditation on the porch in the mornings, in front of the Mekong river.

The steady flow of the Mekong River.

One morning I wake up to find Dev sleeping in the hammock, covered with a mosquito net. My first thought was, “wish I thought of that!”

I enjoyed being disconnected for a bit (no WiFi in our bungalows). I had time to reflect, write, and slow down for a bit. It can be mentally taxing to always have to be planning where to go next, planning the logistics, adapting to a new environment.

Next destination: Phnom Penh, Cambodia.