Laos day 7: Luang Prabang.

Submitted by maria on Mon, 15/08/2011 - 18:05

We get up at dawn to see what is known as TAK BAT, the procession of the monks going around various points of the city asking for alms.

Tak Bat

They form a long line of orange robes. Some of them are very young. These Buddhist monks live on the offerings that people give them, they carry baskets in which they collect money, food, flowers... Tourists can also make their offerings, always inside the basket and bowing. It is beautiful and very emotional, every morning at dawn they make the same journey. Then they return to their respective temples.

Tak Bat

We follow some of them and in one of the wat (temple) we see a group of nuns dressed in white. Indispensable.

Tak Bat

We return to our accommodation and meet the people from Ávila, they are having a coffee and we join them. We go to look for the ones from Salamanca and start a tour of the city.

Offerings

Our first stop Phu Si, is a hill about a hundred meters high with steep stairs, there are several temples, high in Taht Chomsi. Good views, worth the effort.

Interior of a Temple

Views from Phu Si

Next stop is the Royal Palace Museum with a large golden Buddha standing in the main hall and several cars. We also enter the Wat Xieng Maen and the Wat Wisunalat. We see some more but we don't remember the name.

Interior Royal Palace

Fees

Then we go to the most spectacular temple of the city to the Wat Xieng Thong, located near the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Formed by several rooms highlights the royal funeral chapel, with a mortuary cart and several urns, is decorated with erotic scenes. Highlights of the complex the famous tree of life (which you can find in various articles in the night market). It is spectacular. Another essential of the city.

Wat Xieng Thong

The seven of us get together again and decide to visit the Pak Ou caves in the afternoon, but only those of Salamanca go. We haggle with the tuk tuk but impossible, in the end the lady of our Guest gets us one at a good price with her husband.

Pak Ou village

Pak Ou Caves

She stops us in a village where silk and cotton handkerchiefs are sold. There are women using the looms and they offer us to weave, in reality it looks more like a theatre, in a nearby stall several men and women who look drunk sing in a karaoke and invite us to join in but we are not convinced, we think that the party was another theatre.

Pak Ou Caves

To get to the cave we have to cross the river in a canoe, they try to overcharge us but we don't bite. The price of the cave apart, the truth is that it does not have much, hundreds of Buddhas and good views. A little disappointed we return. Pedro has a strong argument with the boatman who tries to cheat him out of his money. In the end when we tried to leave without paying they found change, what a coincidence.

Pak Ou Caves

On the way we see working elephants, they are huge.

Elephants

We had dinner at the market, all seven of us. The barbecue is the best. We finished today not fit the pancacke but the yoghurts.

Food market

We say goodbye, each one continues his journey.

Coffee and breakfast: 24,000 LAK 2 pax.
2 yoghurts: 10,000 LAK.
Wats tickets: 90.000 LAK 2 pax.
Lunch: 60.000 LAK 2 pax.
Transport to Pak Ou: 160.000 LAK 4 pax.
Tickets to Pak Ou cave: 60.000 LAK 4 pax.
Accommodation: Soutikone 1 Guest House 140.000 LAK double room with bathroom.
Dinner at the market: 60.000 LAK 2 pax.

Etiquetas