The Walk of 100 Monks and the Cave of 4,000 Buddhas
I got an early start (5:00AM early) so I could see the famous Luang Prabang alms giving ceremony. In theory, the alms ceremony is a chance for the many monks of Luang Prabang to collect all their food for the day. What was really interesting was to see the different tourists’ reactions to the ceremony. Some participated and gave food to the monks, some stood in front of the monks and took pictures with professional DSLR cameras, and some (like me) stood to the side to watch & take photos. To be honest, the guys running out in front of the monks seemed a bit disrespectful. After the ceremony and breakfast at the hotel, I went to see the Pak Ou Buddha Caves by river boat on the Mekong. After a one broken down boat and a stop for gas I arrived at the fabric village… I think the village elder slipped my tour company a couple hundred thousand kip and a bottle of Lao Lao to have all their boat drivers take a starch break in his town. It was defiantly a worthwhile stop however. It is interesting to get out of Luang Prabang and I got to sample two varieties of the local whisky, Lao Lao. The clear version with 50% alcohol content tasted just like very drinkable moonshine while the purplish one with 15% alcohol content is the significantly more interesting drink. It is made out of the local black sticky rice and tastes very much like a sticky rice desert. I don’t know if I would drink it on a regular basis but it is very interesting drink none the less. After taking off for the second time, I arrived at the Pak Ou Caves. The Pak Ou caves are essentially two caves where the former kings paid the villagers to just pack with Buddha statues, according to the signage over 4,000 Buddha statues to be precise. While the lower cave was cool it had way too many tourists to be really enjoyable, which is why I far preferred the upper cave. The upper cave doesn’t feel too much different to what I imagine it felt like 100 years ago. There is very few people, no light, and a lot of Buddha statues. It is a bit hidden away but if, for whatever reason, you end up at the Pak Ou Caves you shouldn’t miss the upper cave. After I returned and had lunch I took a break until dinner because after dinner I had movie plans. The Victoria Xiengthong Palace Hotel in Luang Prabang shows the silent documentary, or what passed for a documentary at the time, Chang every night at 7:00PM. Chang tells the story of a family of “Lao Tribesmen” in the “Jungle of Norther Siam” (Laos) and their constant struggle against the unstoppable and unbeatable forces of the jungle. While some of the characters are named, it is really a movie about man vs. nature with nature as a whole playing the role of the antagonist. It was nominated in the First Academy Awards in 1929 for “Unique and Artistic Picture” and was directed by the guys who would go on to direct King Kong (because they apparently really like to make movies about man vs. nature). Chang felt a bit more like reality TV than anything we would describe as a documentary. Through clever editing, some preset scenes, and a whole lot of filming, the directors were able to tell a story that I don’t think ever actually happened. While it was technically free, you were strongly advised to buy a drink. While the drinks were a bit pricy, it still ended up being 6.50USD for a movie, chips, and a well-made cocktail. The Lao Lao returns in my cocktail, a Luang Prabang Sunrise (consisting of Lao Lao, lemon juice, and I think a drip of red food dye) and quite successfully I might add. I will enjoy getting more than 5 hours of sleep tonight.
2 Comments
Dad
12/26/2016 02:28:30 am
You get a lot done when you get up early. Fascinating day. Hope you gave the monks something to eat
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Gramma M
12/26/2016 06:14:05 am
Doubt that we will ever get to Laos, so found your comments on the cave most interesting. Purple rice whiskey --better than rice pudding..
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AuthorI am a junior at Juniata College spending a year studying abroad at East China Normal University. Please feel free to join my on my journey to China and beyond. Archives
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