Eat three meals a day

(Baonghean) - 1. 8:40, the plane took off, at 9:30 we were at Vientiane airport. What urged me to go to Laos once - the land of Champa flowers was probably due to the attraction of a quiet country, not loud in any situation and moreover, in Laos there is still the daily life of the 19th century.

Good luck ceremony at Si Muong pagoda in Laos.

The Lao people welcomed us with friendly smiles. It is not an exaggeration to say that Laos is like a clock that ticks according to a rule, no one can rush it to run faster. Perhaps in Southeast Asia, Laos is the only country without a sea, quietly nestled along the majestic Mekong River. Long ago, Buddhism held a very important position in the minds and lives of the Lao people. Every aspect of life was easier for them simply because deep in their hearts, each person had Buddha protecting them. I also felt a sense of peace and sincere respect for the monks hidden behind the unmistakable high curved roofs of the pagodas. Now, I understand why people often say that whoever comes to Laos will be "given" 5 more years of life. What a miracle!

2.Udonthani gives me a sense of peace as soon as I enter because the streets are not congested with traffic, not crowded with buyers and sellers, and Thai people always know how to "treat people". It is that look of Udon that has stolen the hearts of most visitors from all over the world who come to visit even just once. We went to the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial in Udonthani. This is where 86 years ago (in 1928), Nguyen Ai Quoc, then known as Thau Chin, or Old Man Chin, returned to Thailand from Europe to carry out revolutionary activities. Thau Chin advocated expanding the organization; making the Thai people more sympathetic to the Vietnamese and the Vietnamese revolution; educating overseas Vietnamese to respect the customs and practices of the Thai people; promoting the learning of Vietnamese and Thai characters... In 1929, Thau Chin left Udonthani and continued to travel to other localities to work to arouse patriotism among overseas Vietnamese in Thailand. Although he was only here for a short time, Nguyen Ai Quoc left an indelible impression in the hearts of overseas Vietnamese.

In 2003, to recognize the historical value of this land, the Udonthani provincial government and the Vietnamese Association of Udonthani province started construction of the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site on an area of ​​nearly 1 hectare in Noong On village. The Memorial Site has now been completed and consists of two main parts: the reconstructed Uncle Ho's residential area and the newly built multi-purpose building used as a place for worship, reading, screening movies and displaying memorabilia related to President Ho Chi Minh...

What a pity if you do not visit Buddha Park during your journey. Sala Keoku Buddha Park in Noong Khai is a unique feature in the sacred Buddhist culture of the Buddhist land of Thailand - Udonthani. More than 60 years ago, monk Bounlua Suliat chose a location along the Mekong River to create a complex of Buddha statues called Wat Xiengkuane, commonly known as "Buddha Park", less than 25 km east of the Lao capital Vientiane. And not far from there, here, in Noong Khai province of Thailand, this monk also created a second "Buddha Park" called Wat khaek or Sala Keoku Buddha Park. The statues here are a mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism, gods in the Ramayana epic, Buddha statues and gods Shiva, Arjuna, Visnu, Rama, Sita... These works are all made of cement, not painted or covered with any other material. The roughness of the cement material over time has created mossy, old features, expressed through simple color blocks such as black, gray of nature, of the erosion of time, making the spirit of the statues more mysterious and magical.

After 3 memorable days of wandering, we returned home with many memories of the mysterious Laos, the gentle Northeast Thailand and the mutual love of people from different countries. For me, a breakfast in Vietnam, lunch in Laos, dinner in Thailand is enough to anchor in my heart the love and endless nostalgia for the days in your land.

Article and photos:Khanh Duy