The daily event has become touristy, and there are guidelines that are widely available to keep it respectful. One is that if you participate, you do it properly and get a basket of sticky rice prepared, wear modest clothes, and wear the sash that the locals wear. I did not participate but I saw a foreign woman participate and she was very respectful. Also, don’t be loud and avoid blocking the way of the monks as they walk, avoid flash with photos, etc.
I stayed near my hotel, and found it was not too overcrowded and very beautiful, peaceful, and meditative to watch. Monks can be little boys through old men, and some of the boys smiled back at me as they walked by.
I went back to sleep, and then woke back up to go get breakfast. The hotel restaurant is right on the river, and the view is truly incredible. Free breakfast includes made to order eggs and/or pancakes, fruit shakes, coffee, bread, etc. So good. And so peaceful to watch the river as you eat.
I had the morning open, so I headed to the Traditional Arts and Ethnic Cultural Center (TAEC). The US Embassy gave a grant for one of their exhibits on the Katu minority people. It’s a nice small center, and I talked with several of the people that worked there. My favorite part was the gift shop, I’ll admit. They have beautiful handicrafts, and 50% of the proceeds go back to the people that made them. They are not even that expensive, especially since they are very high quality handmade products.
I got to walk around town quite a bit and do some more shopping. I also went to the Luang Prabang Museum, which used to be the Royal Palace. You can’t take photos (or wear shoes) inside, but it was very interesting with some beautiful furniture and mosaic walls. There were several gifts from other countries, but one of them totally blew my mind. There was a huge painting of Huanguoshu Waterfalls, which is in Guizhou, the province I lived in when I was in China. Of all the gifts from China to be there! And I’ve actually seen the falls in person. Crazy.
I went to two locations of OckPopTok, which is a store with many handwoven items, many of which are modern takes on traditional Lao patterns. There were many lovely items, and I talked a lot to two workers at one of the stores, who knew Pam, my former boss, and spoke great English. They were so friendly.
By lunchtime, Wendy (the librarian from Bangkok), and several local staff from the Embassy had arrived. We reunited at a restaurant, where the local staff and I shared some great Lao food, including a delicious eggplant and minced pork dish I hadn’t tried before.
In the afternoon, Ken, Wendy and I gave presentations to some older students at the library, where we have an American Corner. I did College Life in the USA again, to a great talkative crowd of students. It was a lot of fun. After that, groups of kids put on a show for us. It included kids from very young to teens, doing traditional dances, hip hop dancing, singing, and a puppet show. It was very fun.
The Library in Luang Prabang, which is where all of this happened, is a great place. There is a program where tourists can buy books, spending $2 and up. The books are educational and usually English and Lao, with great illustrations. Tourists can buy books at the library or night market. Then, fairly frequently, the books are loaded up onto a boat, and taken to a village school. It’s an amazing program, and a great way for backpackers to help out very easily.
In the evening, Wendy, Ken, and I headed to L’Elephant, which is one of the most famous restaurants in Laos. The atmosphere was really nice and the food was great. I got a cucumber salad, delicious bread, and a cheesy pasta dish. Very classy and very delicious.
Once again, I shopped in the night market before heading back to the hotel. I bought a lot of stuff in Luang Prabang, since it was my last big chance to buy things before I left Laos. I got some really gorgeous and unique items that I am excited to bring home.
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