My last week in Luang Prabang is here. The 19th of December I will rise before dawn to catch my flight to Bangkok. That leaves me with six days to spend in Luang Prabang. There is still one thing I need to do here, namely visit the Royal National Museum. This is a must when visiting Luang Prabang, but I have still not taken the time to go. Hopefully tomorrow. Except for the museum however, I have done everything that I really want to do here in Luang Prabang. To not get super bored this week though, I have created a schedule to follow:
13/12: National Museum, check with Tiger Trail for Kayaking tours. Maybe go chanting.
14-15/12: Maybe go kayaking, depends if TT have tours. Temple day, by bike visit all the wats mentioned in the guide book. Go chanting.
16/12: Chill, maybe massage again? Last of the christmas shopping.
17/12: Dinner with american friend.
18/12: Last day in Luang Prabang, and my host's birthday. No specific plans so far.
19/12: Bangkok!
We'll see how strictly I will follow the schedule, but at least it is some guidelines to go after.
måndag 12 december 2011
Just a Regular Monday
Had another session of foot massage today. When an hour massage costs less than a meal from (Swedish) McDonalds it would be idiotic not to go as often as one can.
Yes, you are allowed to be jealous.
Yes, you are allowed to be jealous.
lördag 10 december 2011
Chanting and Lunar Eclipse
Every day around 5 in the afternoon the monks of the wats gather in the main temple, or "sim" or "vihan" for a 30 minutes session of chanting. Yesterday when I was talking to a group of monks I was invited to join for the chanting, and of course I said yes. Sing, whom I speak to has been at the monastery for eight years, and this April he is leaving his brothers to go to school in Vientiane.
This sim is quite small, with no more than 12 monks and novices taking part of the chanting. I sit in the bank, on my knees, and it gives me a view of the monks and I can copy what they do. After about ten minutes this position is already uncomfortable and I change position. I have noticed that the younger novices sit on their butt, and I do the same. I also notice that Sing leads the chanting, which is probably because he have been at the wat for such a long time. They chant, and I try to copy the chant in my mind, and sometime we bow. The last five minutes everyone changes to knee position and the chant increase in strength. Finally we bow several times, I am not sure how many, and the chant is over. After Sing tells me that I am welcome to join whenever I want and I tell him that I will come by next week.
One might think that the chant is very strict, but its not. The simple fact that anyone is allowed to join, buddhist or not. One or two novices drop in after the chant has started. At one time, Sing leaves the chanting since he is needed outside, but soon returns. I believe that this is what separates Buddhism from other religions, like Christianity, that it is open and forgiving and not built on a thousand strict rules on how to behave. It is not judging of people of other religions, and seems overall to be a very laid-back philosophy.
I was super excited for the total lunar eclipse which was to happen yesterday, but of course it was too cloudy and I couldn't see a thing.
This sim is quite small, with no more than 12 monks and novices taking part of the chanting. I sit in the bank, on my knees, and it gives me a view of the monks and I can copy what they do. After about ten minutes this position is already uncomfortable and I change position. I have noticed that the younger novices sit on their butt, and I do the same. I also notice that Sing leads the chanting, which is probably because he have been at the wat for such a long time. They chant, and I try to copy the chant in my mind, and sometime we bow. The last five minutes everyone changes to knee position and the chant increase in strength. Finally we bow several times, I am not sure how many, and the chant is over. After Sing tells me that I am welcome to join whenever I want and I tell him that I will come by next week.
One might think that the chant is very strict, but its not. The simple fact that anyone is allowed to join, buddhist or not. One or two novices drop in after the chant has started. At one time, Sing leaves the chanting since he is needed outside, but soon returns. I believe that this is what separates Buddhism from other religions, like Christianity, that it is open and forgiving and not built on a thousand strict rules on how to behave. It is not judging of people of other religions, and seems overall to be a very laid-back philosophy.
I was super excited for the total lunar eclipse which was to happen yesterday, but of course it was too cloudy and I couldn't see a thing.
onsdag 7 december 2011
Welcome To the Jungle
Quite Literally.
The last two months have not been my most active ones I confess. Sloth and Gluttony have been my partners in crime. I have slept until noon more often than not, and I have indulged in everything good food-wise I have encountered. However, Tuesday everything changed. I had signed up for a two day trek into the Lao jungle, with somethings what's called a "homestay". Which is that you spend the night a small village, and live like they do.
8.20 in the morning me and my group gathered at the meeting point in town from where we then head off in tuk-tuk together with several others going off to other adventures. After driving around in Luang Prabang for a while figuring out who is going where we finally left town and after about half an hour we got dropped off not far from the Elephant Village. After a boat takes us across the river we set off on our trek. We are a group of six; me, a German couple, a french couple and our guide. We wander through some amazing settings. Lao-style, tiny rice fields, jungle, and teak forests. Much of the walk involves climbing steep rocky paths, which of course make you pant like you just run a marathon. Our first stop is in a Khmu Village, one of Laos's ethnic tribes. We rest and drink some water before we explore the village. Here cows, pigs and chicken walk around freely and mingle with the kids and dogs. The children all wave to us and says hello, or "Sabaidee". After some more walking we eat lunch in another village, this one a Hmong village. Its a rather odd experience. Around the tables have the women already prepared some stalls hoping to sell their handicrafts to the tourists (us). We sit down to eat, surrounded by kids and animals and hopeful women, with a chanting shaman in the background. Our lunch is fried rice, prepared in Luang Prabang but packed in banana leafs, keeping it hot and fresh. Quite amazing.
After lunch we walk another 2.5 hour before we arrive to another Khmu village, our home for the night. THis village is the largest yet, with 75 families with an average of 7 children. They have a primary school for the small children, but the older kids have to walk an hour to theirs. The villages are truly basic. The houses are of wood or bamboo, the ground is hard dirt and animals run around freely. They have generators, apparently on or two families actually have TV. School is over for the day but outside the kids are playing football together with another couple of tourists. The kids have so much energy and I want to join, but having a broken toe and being exhausted from the day stopped me from it. The rest of the day is spent playing with the kids, eating sticky rice and hanging out around the campfire.
Having slept surprisingly good I wake up the day after, eat breakfast and we set off again. Compared to yesterday today's trek was a walk in the park. I compare our trek to Lord of the Rings, a bunch of random people walking through spectacular nature. I soon assume the role as both Merry and Pippin as I manage to hit my head in tree and then only 5 minutes later slip on a bamboo bridge and almost falling into the water.
The afternoon is spent relaxing at Tad Sae Waterfall, a perfect activity when one have walked all morning.
The last two months have not been my most active ones I confess. Sloth and Gluttony have been my partners in crime. I have slept until noon more often than not, and I have indulged in everything good food-wise I have encountered. However, Tuesday everything changed. I had signed up for a two day trek into the Lao jungle, with somethings what's called a "homestay". Which is that you spend the night a small village, and live like they do.
8.20 in the morning me and my group gathered at the meeting point in town from where we then head off in tuk-tuk together with several others going off to other adventures. After driving around in Luang Prabang for a while figuring out who is going where we finally left town and after about half an hour we got dropped off not far from the Elephant Village. After a boat takes us across the river we set off on our trek. We are a group of six; me, a German couple, a french couple and our guide. We wander through some amazing settings. Lao-style, tiny rice fields, jungle, and teak forests. Much of the walk involves climbing steep rocky paths, which of course make you pant like you just run a marathon. Our first stop is in a Khmu Village, one of Laos's ethnic tribes. We rest and drink some water before we explore the village. Here cows, pigs and chicken walk around freely and mingle with the kids and dogs. The children all wave to us and says hello, or "Sabaidee". After some more walking we eat lunch in another village, this one a Hmong village. Its a rather odd experience. Around the tables have the women already prepared some stalls hoping to sell their handicrafts to the tourists (us). We sit down to eat, surrounded by kids and animals and hopeful women, with a chanting shaman in the background. Our lunch is fried rice, prepared in Luang Prabang but packed in banana leafs, keeping it hot and fresh. Quite amazing.
After lunch we walk another 2.5 hour before we arrive to another Khmu village, our home for the night. THis village is the largest yet, with 75 families with an average of 7 children. They have a primary school for the small children, but the older kids have to walk an hour to theirs. The villages are truly basic. The houses are of wood or bamboo, the ground is hard dirt and animals run around freely. They have generators, apparently on or two families actually have TV. School is over for the day but outside the kids are playing football together with another couple of tourists. The kids have so much energy and I want to join, but having a broken toe and being exhausted from the day stopped me from it. The rest of the day is spent playing with the kids, eating sticky rice and hanging out around the campfire.
Having slept surprisingly good I wake up the day after, eat breakfast and we set off again. Compared to yesterday today's trek was a walk in the park. I compare our trek to Lord of the Rings, a bunch of random people walking through spectacular nature. I soon assume the role as both Merry and Pippin as I manage to hit my head in tree and then only 5 minutes later slip on a bamboo bridge and almost falling into the water.
The afternoon is spent relaxing at Tad Sae Waterfall, a perfect activity when one have walked all morning.
måndag 5 december 2011
OckPopTok
This afternoon I visited a local weaving centre and textile gallery just outside Luang Prabang's city center. OckPopTok means "East meets West" and was started by a local Lao and an English photographer and is spread out through Laung Prabang with two shops in town and the Living Craft Centre by the Mekong. Here they show you how the weaving and dying works around in Laos. When you arrive you are given a guide who show you around, and explain the process of weaving. They also have a little shop, a guest house and a café.
They have their own tuk-tuk in which I believe visitors can use for free, but I went by bicycle. The ride there is no more than 10 minutes on the main road before turing right on a small dirt road. At the end of this road I found OckPopTok beautifully located by the Mekong, the buildings and workshops surrounded by a garden. I am given a guide who shows me around and tell me about the process. I learn that the weaving is a fully natural process, as the products are handmade and the dyes comes from natural sources like rose tree and lemon grass. My guide tells me that weaving is women's work, the knowledge passed down from mother to daughter. He showed me the silk worms and the finished cocoons. I also saw several silk moths in the middle of mating. We end the mini tour at the shop, I decide not to by anything but promise to drop by the shops in town.
I then bike back home, but before I get out in the main road I see the tiniest little kitty. Luang Prabang is filled with cats, big and small, but this one was the smallest so far. My heart breaks as I get on my bike, I cannot possibly take it with me even though every cell in my body just want to take it home and let it sleep in my warm, safe bed.
They have their own tuk-tuk in which I believe visitors can use for free, but I went by bicycle. The ride there is no more than 10 minutes on the main road before turing right on a small dirt road. At the end of this road I found OckPopTok beautifully located by the Mekong, the buildings and workshops surrounded by a garden. I am given a guide who shows me around and tell me about the process. I learn that the weaving is a fully natural process, as the products are handmade and the dyes comes from natural sources like rose tree and lemon grass. My guide tells me that weaving is women's work, the knowledge passed down from mother to daughter. He showed me the silk worms and the finished cocoons. I also saw several silk moths in the middle of mating. We end the mini tour at the shop, I decide not to by anything but promise to drop by the shops in town.
I then bike back home, but before I get out in the main road I see the tiniest little kitty. Luang Prabang is filled with cats, big and small, but this one was the smallest so far. My heart breaks as I get on my bike, I cannot possibly take it with me even though every cell in my body just want to take it home and let it sleep in my warm, safe bed.
söndag 4 december 2011
Luang Prabang Film Festival
The 3rd of December the 2nd Annual Luang Prabang Film Festival was launched. This film festival focuses on films from southeast Asia and ends the 7th of December. Luang Prabang has no movie theaters, but instead a large screen has been set up by the market where everyone can who wants can watch. Together with Niclas and my step-grandfather I was invited to the Opening Party which was held at the French Cultural Center in town. The evening was a mingle under the stars, with drinks and canapés from the local restaurants to nibble as we socialized with the other guests. The crowd was a mix of western expats, important people from Vientiane and possibly some Lao movie stars. The buzz of the night was the movie that had rolled after the public opening ceremony, which I did not see but I now wish I did. "On Safer Grounds" it is called and is a documentary about a Lao football team traveling to Sweden to compete in Gothia Cup, the world's largest youth football cup. Its in English, but was shown with lao subtitles. I talked to the director and asked if it's possible to see the film somewhere else, and he told me they will talk to Swedish television about it. Maybe sometimes next year. So keep an eye out!
torsdag 1 december 2011
Backpackers tip
Another tip for backpackers in Luang Prabang. To keep your daily budget at a minimum, eat most of your meals from the markets. Hmong markets sandwiches and fruit shakes, works for both breakfast and lunch. Morning market where you can buy fruits and veggies, great, cheap snack! Then of course the street food market which opens around 5pm for dinner. First day enjoy a buffet of fried and steamed noodles in all shapes and kinds, the second day maybe grilled Mekong fish? Super delicious.
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