After exploring Cambodia our next country to visit was Luang Prabang, Laos. Luang Prabang is situated at the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a population of 50,000 making it a very unique and beautiful place to visit. Well known for it's many Buddhist temples and monasteries it provides a great insight of the life of monks which reside in the city. Our resort had a wonderful hilltop view and the accommodations were fantastic. Again we hired a guide for this country which provided another great experience.
Our first stop was at Wat Visoun, built in 1513 and the oldest temple in the city.
In route to our next location we saw a bamboo bridge crossing the Nam Khang River. We asked our guide and driver to stop so that we could take in the great views and cross the bridge.
Following our little diversion we visited Wat Xieng. This is a Lao monastery built in 1559 and monument to the spirit of religion, royalty, and art. One of the striking things about this temple was the decoration with mosaics in 1950, depicting the daily life of an average person in Laos.
Next we headed to see where the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers meet within the city.
We then continued our day by visiting the Kuang Si waterfall, located just south of Luang Prabang. Here we discovered may tiered waterfalls with small basins of very turquoise water.
Day 2
The following day we started with a traditional wooden boat ride upstream to visit the Pak Ou caves. On the way we stopped at Ban Xanghai to observe the traditional process of manufacturing local rice alcohol and wine. Additionally many women were selling their hand crafted table runners and scarves which included such amazing detail, of course we bought some to take home with us!
We boarded back onto our boat and headed to the Pak Ou caves. These caves contain thousands of Buddha images and are of great religious importance to the Theravada Buddhists in Laos. These caves were converted into temples in the 15th century.
Following our lunch overlooking the river we walked to an elephant riding location prior to getting back on our boat to head back to the resort. At this point in our travels we have become very accustom to riding elephants but what happened next was truly unique. After the ride the elephants strolled down to the river to enjoy a swim in the lake, this was a fun opportunity for us all to see how much elephants enjoy the water.
Day 3
Day three started very early in the morning before sunrise. Because of the small size of the city and the abundance of Buddhist monasteries, the tradition of "alms giving" is very special in Luang Prabang. The giving of the alms is a living Buddhist tradition where the community gathers along the streets before sunrise to give food to a silent procession of Monks. Monks are not allowed to cook or hoard food so for many this is their only daily meal. Monks do not eat for pleasure, but to sustain their bodies, and they are trained to live without many material things which include food. The process involves preparing balls of sticky rice to drop inside the Monks baskets to show respect, providing the giver with "merit" towards their next life.
Following our early morning start we headed to visit the Royal Palace Museum. Built in 1904 it was the main residence of King Sisavang Vong, following 1975 the monarchy was overthrown by communist party and thus converted into a museum. Here we toured the rooms of the Royal Palace and got a glimpse of how the family lived, viewing their many acquired treasures. On the way we walk passed a local market where I took a few photos.
Next it was time for lunch. Our guide for our time in Laos was Phonesak Thanmala ("Sak" as we called him). He was born and raised in Laos, saving to achieve a two year advanced degree in hospitality while learning English. For four days he showed us his hometown, the culture, and most importantly friendship. Out of the kindness of his heart he invited our family (honored to be the first he has invited) to his home where his wife cooked us an elaborate authentic Laos meal. He was embarrassed since you see his home sits directly next to the airport runway, he lives in a small cylinder block space while he saves to build a larger home, and his furnishings are few. In the pics you can see the current home and the home which he is working to build. The construction has lasted 2.5 years thus far as he saves to continue the progress. He makes $130 USD/month as do most families. When he does not have a guide opportunity he paints where his wife sells the artwork at the local night market. His family touched our hearts with their extended kindness, opening their home and meal without asking for anything but friendship. We will miss Sak and his family, eternally grateful for the life lesson he provided during our visit.
Next we were treated to a private Baci Ceremony, important in Lao culture. Used to celebrate important events in life the ceremony involves tying strings around a person's wrist to preserve good luck.
Next we headed to Phousi Mountain overlooking the city. The task was to climb to the top of the mountain via the stairs where from the top we received a view of the surrounding rivers and villages at sunset.
Our last stop was for dinner and also the Night Market. It is here that we picked up a few items and also had an opportunity to view Sak's art work for sale. In reflection on our trip to Laos, I may have not have known much about the country prior to visiting but I am now so much richer for doing so!
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