Thursday, November 21 - Luang Prabang

For the second consecutive morning, we rose early to be present at a unique local event.  We left the hotel at 5:30 to watch the parade of hundreds of Buddhist monks and novices after their morning prayers.  At dawn each day,  barefoot, saffron-robed, and carrying bowls, they walk single file from the many temples in this town so that townspeople and visitors can place food in their bowls.  There is a protocol to this: those wishing to donate food sit on rug squares or low stools placed on bamboo mats and wear sashes diagonally across their bodies.  (Food is available for purchase along the street, and use of a sash is included.)  As the line of monks passes by, donors place food in their bowls; touching the monks is taboo.  Among the common food items for donation is sticky rice, which the vendors sell in covered bamboo containers, and which each donor portions into small balls for distribution.  Mel participated in the ritual, but opted to donate wrapped crackers; it's hard to imagine the monks' eating the rice that's been pre-handled by scores of people! 

After breakfast and a chance to re-group back at the hotel, we were back on the go with guide and driver.  We visited several temple complexes and pagodas, none of whose names I can remember, taking our shoes off at each one.  Buddhas of all sizes, shapes and positions have begun to run together for us.  This was a "high wat-age" morning. 

We also visited the National Museum (more Buddhas on display!), once the palace of the king.  There were several large rooms painted a deep, deep red and beautifully decorated with a profusion of metallic mosaics.  Most of the museum was dedicated to the living quarters and public rooms of the royal family and various artifacts related to them.

For the first time on this trip, we were actually cool when we started out this morning, but that didn't last for long and we were happy to stop for lunch on the upper balcony of a restaurant in an old colonial building on the main street of Luang Prabang.  We cooled off and enjoyed the passing scene of school children going home for lunch and young novice monks strolling along, using umbrellas for protection from the sun.  Tom felt he should introduce them to baseball caps to cover their shaved heads!

We had some time on our own after lunch, during which we took a walk through town and along the Mekong River and rested up in our room for a mid-afternoon challenge -- a walk up the 328 steps to the top of Mount Phousi, in the center of town.  Fortunately, the sun had given way to clouds and our path was shaded by the hill's forest, otherwise it would have been much more challenging than it already was.  There's a temple atop the hill, terraces with views over two rivers to the mountains beyond and, on the way down -- more Buddhas, as well as impressions of two of his footprints in the rocks!!!

At the bottom of the hill, we strolled around the grounds of a Buddhist monastery and school.  Our guide is a former monk and he lived, studied, and later taught at the school.  We were able to see the young novices in a math class and others horsing around and just acting like real boys as they re-wound their robes after leaving their bath house.  It's been quite interesting to have a former novice and monk with us to explain some of the rituals and daily activities of life within a monastery.

Tonight, we started out to a restaurant for dinner, but were sidetracked when we walked through an alley that was lined with buffet stands and grills.  We were attracted by good-looking food, CHEAP prices, and a lot of westerners, so we decided to throw caution to the wind and eat there.

We're looking forward to rising a lot later than the monks tomorrow morning!