Eight hours of travel from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, I arrived at my hostel around two in the afternoon with my body aching to just get on the move. Lucky Backpacker Hostel was probably the cheapest in the area. Bag secured, shower was done and camera on hand; I head off to a nearby restaurant to quickly grab something to eat.
Without any itinerary for this day, I trusted my feet and my gut feeling to take me someplace worth seeing. Thank goodness, my feet didn’t fail me. Chao Arouvang Park was for me fascinating. In my country, a massive park with a spacious area for leisure activities was rare. So just being there at the Chao Arouvang Park made me really envious.
Fourteen hectares of trees, grass, and wide concrete path walk; it’s just the ideal place to jog, exercise or do yoga. You could bring your dogs with you. You can bicycle here as well. They even have groups of people practicing Tai Chi every morning! I’m dying of jealousy right now. I would be motivated every day to exercise if I was living here.
Chao Arouvang Park is located at the heart of Vientiane, next to the banks of the Mekong River. Thailand is just across that River. This was built in 2010 to honor the memory of the King Chao Anouvang. A bronze statue of King Chao Anouvang stands 6 meters high facing Thailand with one hand on his sword and the other in mid-air as if it was going to shake your hands. This gesture symbolizes Laos welcoming Thai People to their country. At the foot of the statue is a small altar for people to give offerings and pray. Lots of mini figurines of elephants and horses surround the altar.
Seriously, I want a park like this in my place. The short stroll along the Chao Anouvang Park was satisfying. And then, I recalled that there was another famous park in Vientiane. So this time, I referred to google maps where this other one was. Seeing that it would probably just take me 30 minutes of walk to get there, I continued my journey.
Although Vientiane is quite modernized compared to Luang Prabang, I can still feel the relaxed vibe of the Laotian culture here. It was totally safe walking around the streets. You wouldn’t miss passing by the Presidential Palace and the Wat Phra Kaew which closed by the time I stumbled there. Huge century old trees still stood along the streets as well.
That’s it for now! I’ll be writing about that other park on my next blog. Stay tuned, Steem on and Always remember…