I took a three week trip through Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia recently, returning the first week in January, 2008. I loved the trip and was fascinated by the different cultures. On one hand the "lost in time" feeling of Laos and Cambodia was contrasted against the "we can't move fast enough" pace of Vietnam. These countries are only miles from one another, but centuries apart in attitude and drive. I used my new Nikon SLR and was thrilled with the results of this terrific camera.
Luang Prabang Laos is a UNESCO World Heritage site of gilded temples and French colonial architecture. Each day at sunrise, a procession of more than 100 monks and novices passes through the town on their alms rounds. These rounds offer locals and visitors the opportunity to "make merit" by donating food to the monks and receiving their blessing. Luang Prabang is also known for its outstanding weaving--just gorgeous. I bought two shawls that are masterpieces. They take two months to make and they sell for less than $100. A one hour foot massage costs $3. I got lots of foot massages. .
Please take a minute and enjoy my photographs of this fabulous place. Be assured, you will enjoy them. You simply can't take a bad photo in Luang Prabang. I also have a fun short video of the early morning "making merit" custom of providing food to the monks.
After we checked into our hotel, we went out for a walk around the town. We wandered down to the river and had a beer and spring rolls looking down at all the children swimming in the river. It was a gorgeous day, as were most of our days during the three weeks. After our stop for lunch, we wandered around the hills, getting lost and talking with people in the back streets and allyways. We have a delightful, unexpected treat when we walked into a temple area and saw local people decorating the temple with leaves and flowers. All of a sudden we heard horns and music and five or six trucks pull up loaded with 60 or so people—very young to very old. They were ladened with flowers, banana leaves, grasses. They all joined in to decorate the temple in celebration of something—couldn’t figure out what, but they loved having us there and were incredibly friendly. They all piled back on the trucks and drove away. We kept walking around for a couple more hours. That is what is great in LP, just walking around.
The next day was Sunday and we went into the mountains to visit the hill tribes. The day had been changes as the Hmong tribe was having a celebration and was in full regalia and our guide didn’t want us to miss it. I’m SO glad we went when we did. The first thing that happened is that our bus got stuck on a dirt approach to a bridge. It was really muddy. So I (Vermonter that I am) said, “we need to get off the bus). We got off the bus and the bus driver attempted to get up this small incline and over the tiny wooden bridge. Of course, I’m there thinking “let ME drive the bus”. I am standing with one other trip member named Gunnar. Gunnar is from Sweden. I say to him, “There are two Laos and a Brit down there trying to get that bus up a hill in mud. You are from Sweden, I am from Vermont…let’s get this over with.” So, Gunnar and I grab huge clumps of hay/grass/whatever, and create a path for the bus through the thick mud and to the bridge. We are now on our way after some graciously high fives. Along the way we stopped at a pineapple farm and ate freshly picked pineapples. I don’t think I can eat a Whole Foods pineapple again. I’ve been spoiled. We then moved on the Hmong village. The Hmong girls were dressed in gorgeous, elaborate costumes (see fantastic pictures in my album link below) and everyone was having so much fun. Our local guide had brought tons of little individually wrapped tea cookies for all the children which they seemed to love. He gave them to me to hand out, so I became the favorite visitor and was able to take wonderful pictures. There is a pride among the Hmong that is palpable. I am always impressed by how much children are loved in these villages. We then visited a Khmu village. Again, those cookies were a huge hit and therefore I was a great hit. The Khmu seem quite different from the Hmong even just walking around. The Hmong seems more industrious. However, what do I know—I’m just a woman with cookies dropping by for a few minutes and taking pictures.[Show More]
0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | Posted by Patricia Pomerleau on Tuesday, January 08, 2008
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