Buddhas and Monks

16 February 2012 

Luang Probang

We had another day aboard the boat floating down the river. Every so often we’d see kids swimming in the Mekong or adults doing their laundry or fishing with nets. We stopped at the Tam Ting caves at one point to see the 4000 Buddha statues placed there by worshippers. The lower cave is home to over 2500 the images. The upper cave has a large Buddha-like image outside at its entrance. It is not an image of the Buddha, however; rather, the image is a disciple of Buddha’s that was so good looking that men and women alike would not leave him alone so he made himself fat and ugly so he could worship in peace.

We arrived in Luang Prabang in early evening and were delighted to see our garden accommodation overlooking the Mekong. Luang Prabang was once the capital of Laos and is known for its temples and monks dressed in saffron-colored robes.

Views along the Mekong

Our boat's interior

We saw many kids enjoying a swim in the river. 

Good thing I have a camera. This picture cracks me up!

View of the river

Buddhas

View from the caves

Non--Buddha

More river views

On the boat

Disembarking

The following morning (after breakfast served on the room’s front porch) the group visited the Laos Ethnology Center to learn a little more about the culture. The 236,800 square kilometers of Laos is home to about 5.6 million Lao broadly divided into three ethnic groups based on where the live geographically: those in the lowlands are called Lao Loum, the Lao Theung live on mountain slopes between 200 and 900 meters, and the Loa Soung live on mountains tops between 800 and 1200 meters high. While useful, this classification is largely oversimplified because there are over a hundred different ethnic groups and subgroups living in the country. The different groups have unique styles of dress, customs, and crafts. One courtship ritual I found fun is women in the Tai Phuan tribe send a cooked chicken in a hand woven basket to a potential partner. If the quality of the basket is deemed good, the boy’s family will return it filled with bracelets, needles, and other gifts to signify that she may have a chance at marriage. 

From the museum we traveled to Kuang Sii Falls. The three-tier falls 28 kilometers outside of town are both beautiful and open to swimming—a perfect combination for a hot, humid afternoon. There was a rope swing into one pool of the falls, and I think I’ve finally learned how to release from the rope at the right time to maximize my jump. J

View from the top of the falls

Base of the top falls

Getting ready to jump! (We were told to wear modest
swimwear--shorts and shirts.)

Jump from the falls! (Not everyone got the modest note.)

Monks on the go.

The next day was a free day, and after taking advantage of the opportunity to sleep in, we explored the town on bikes. We rode along the Mekong and visited a few temples, and then made the most of the inexpensive massage available in the town. We had dinner in town and I finally bought a four dollar handbag at the night market to replace the one I bought in India that was being held together with safety pins.
 

Another bike tour

Another temple

The following morning I was up early enough to go for a run before getting on the bus for our five hour drive to Vientiane. Each morning the monks in the town walk along the streets of the town in their orange robes and shaved heads collecting alms and giving blessings in return. Many of my group had gotten up at 5:45 the day before to see this ritual and been disappointed by the touristy feel of it. I, however, lucked out on my run, as I saw a line of monks walking the streets and a few Lao preparing offerings without another tourist in sight.