Laos, January 29 - February 14, 2014

Laos, January 29 - February 14, 2014

The best part of Laos was hooking up with Alison and Omar as they continued their cycling adventure through Thailand and Laos.

We began our travels by returning to the city of Luang Prabang.  A huge French influence is evident in the architecture, 

as well as the French baguettes that are on every corner, served at every breakfast, and found in most market stalls.

An easy breakfast stop were the endless stalls with the women selling fruit shakes, pancakes and sandwiches,

and hot and iced coffees.

Unlike the variety we found in the market stalls in Chiang Mai, food markets, as well as merchandise markets were much more similar to those in other parts of the world…all the sandwich/coffee/fruit juice stalls were lined up in a row…side by side.

 We are always stumped by this…are you best to have the first stall that people see, or the middle stalls so that people can meander through before buying…what happens to the poor soul in the last stall?  We have a philosophy that they must be a co-operative, because truly there could be days that you don't make a sale.                               

(Interesting fact…in the above photo, the couple Jim is talking to are from…Sudbury.  If you have ever taken a taxi in Sudbury, you've been in one of this man's cars.)

An interesting dinner opportunity in Luang Prabang that is set up for backpackers is the vegetarian buffet.  Several tables, like the one pictured above are adorned with rice and noodle dishes, cooked vegetables and salads, spring rolls and shrimp chips.

 For 10 000 kip or less than $1.50 Canadian you can fill your plate as full as you like.  If you wish it heated up, it all goes into a hot frying pan!  Barbecued chicken, beef, sausage, fish and other unidentifiable meats are also available for a few thousand kip.  A food connoisseur's delight…perhaps not.  However, it does taste good and the ambiance alone in the small, and extremely busy street is totally worth the 10 000kip

Who needs a dehydrator? The street sides are often coloured with various crops drying in a basket or on a tarp.  This is bael fruit used for tea.

Kaffir lime leaves

Red chilies

Garlic

A simple bowl of soup becomes a gourmet masterpiece when you toss in the fresh herbs and vegetables.  

We came to Luang Prabang right at Chinese New Year.  There were no celebrations, but the streets of this quiet and gentle town were spilling over with Chinese tourists. Guest houses were difficult to find, and there were convoys of high end vehicles constantly on the move.   Everything is worthy of a photo, even outside the pharmacy:)

One of the most moving, and at the same time disturbing experiences here is the tradition of tak bat.  This is the early morning collection of food by the monks from the members of the community.  The act of food collection helps to sustain the large monastery communities.

We sat across from some older women.  They sat with their sandals off, feet on the cold night pavement, and very quietly chatted together until the monks showed their presence.  They then concentrated on the task at hand.  

The monks walked single file, barefoot, carrying only their alms bowl.    

The women we watched had bowls of sticky rice they had prepared earlier that morning.  They reached into their pots, grabbed a small handful and proceeded to put it into each bowl.  There is no other interaction, just a silent respect.

This is a ritual which has been carried out for hundreds of years.  

Luang Prabang, hosting almost 80 temples, means there are hundreds of monks in their saffron-coloured robes moving through the city streets.  It is truly a sight that can take your breath away.  Why is it then disturbing?

Tourists are invited to watch, like this man on the street...like ourselves. They are not even discouraged from taking photos.  There are numerous posted signs describing the appropriate behaviour when watching the procession.  The behaviour that is most offensive, and which seems to get worse by the day is the intrusive way in which many tourists take photographs.  This is especially bad on the main streets where crowds of tourists line the sidewalks.  We have spoken to many monks.  They do not understand our fascination with photographing them.  However, they don't mind.  They just don't want the cameras stuck into their faces, or the pulsating of flashes, especially during the alms procession.  The etiquette is not kept secret.  You can read it online, in the Lonely Planet, and on a variety of posters placed in prominent signs around town. 

We felt privileged to have the opportunity to be a part of this spiritual and serene tradition.