Enjoying Luang Prabang, its a great place to do nothing! The town is small enough to walk around. The only problem is the heat - its hard going walking during the day but at least there's loads of cafes and bars to stop off in, like this one called 'Utopia'..the seats are loungers so you can just lie there admiring the view (and try to ignore the millions of ants crawling all over the place!)
Buddhism is the biggest religion in Laos with most men joining a monastry at some stage - may only be for a month and some stay for life. Monks are highly respected in Laos and one of the main things to see in Laos is the "Morning Alms Giving Ceremony". This is when the monks walk through the streets of Laos and the local people offer food and pay respect - its a religious ceremony and a big part of Lao culture. I had to get up at 5.30am to see it!! but I could watch it from the balcony in the hotel room..
Local woman giving rice to the monks
Afterwards I went for a walk to the food market...big choice!
even "fresh" frogs - poor fellas were trying to escape.
Went for a walk over this bridge...its only for pedestrials and motorbikes and its scary walking over as its very wobbly!
Perfect way to end the day...watching the sun go down over the Mekong river with the "Dom Perignon" of beer - Beer Lao!
Hi T. Laos looks really nice from the photos. Much cleaner and less crowded than Vietnam. Glad you found a beer you like to keep cool in the hot sun. Certainly plenty of choice in the market - for a veggie like you, What meat do they eat besides chicken?
ReplyDeleteMonks look a bit like the Hari Krishna gang that used to walk and sing in Grafton Street. I noted that you stayed on your balcony and didn't rush down with a box of cereal or bag of rice for the lads.
Nothing to report from here except weather good for a change and apples now ripe. Birds are having a field day. Hope your back before they eat them all.
Have to say that your blog is very good and interesting. It almost saves me the bother of going. One thing I have found out is that the monsoon rains are a maximum during Oct in the region. Not sure I want to spend three weeks in the pouring rain even if it is warm. I'll wait until I talk to you before making a final decision.
Keep up the good work. Drink plenty of Lao Beer and behave yourself.