Two days boat journey to Luang Probang. Made new friends! A teacher from Canada, a German traveler away for one year and an older backpacker from Utah. What a delightful trip down the Mekong. Lots of great conversation and sights! Five hours of slow boat ride on the first day with a layover at Pak Beng where we took on two European cyclists who had ridden from Huaixai with many great stories to tell! Eight hours by boat the following day to Luang Probang. Riverside villages and gardens, children playing all along the river, fishing nets on bamboo poles, other long thin boats.
It would take me a long time to describe what I have seen and done for the past two days in Luang Probang. I'm going to make a list and maybe return to elaborate: early morning ride along the river to see the gardens, crossed a bamboo bridge after being invited to come to the village for dinner and wisky by the bridge builder, weavers village with paper making, weaving and traditional paintings; night markets, afternoon markets, morning markets; procession of hundreds of monks at dawn collecting alms; cycling with a new German friend to an amazing waterfall park and finally hearing really amazing bird song in the jungle; sharing dinner and whisky in the village, searching the morning market for snake an monitor, our hosts two favorite foods, to share for a future dinner; men fishing for bats at night from the top of the wat on the mountain in the middle of town; full moon light filling the valley; the morning markets: live gophers, rats, mice, fish, a bever, chickens, small birds all for sale on the street; meeting a vender who says she'd bring us snake tomorrow; buying snake!; Lao coffee at dawn chased with lovely, fragrant green tea; amazing hand crafts; museum with amazing royal regalia!, a modern black and white photo exhibit focused on Vipassana retreats in Luang Probang; dining with friends along the Mekong (multiple times!); regional cuisine: olive tapenade, deep friend river kelp with sesame, garlic and tomatoes!!!
Some snapshots:
styrofoam floats
down the Mekong -- what happened
to the coconuts?
----
a line of candles
extinguised by the wind
in Wat Tham Phu Si
chanting and bells enter
with a street dog that lies down
-----
The Mekong River
rolls through miles upon miles
of villages
fishing boats, slow boats, homes
floating an ancient valley
-----
Haiku: Upon Seeing Morning Procession
may I justly represent
that small part of truth
I embody
-----
It would take me a long time to describe what I have seen and done for the past two days in Luang Probang. I'm going to make a list and maybe return to elaborate: early morning ride along the river to see the gardens, crossed a bamboo bridge after being invited to come to the village for dinner and wisky by the bridge builder, weavers village with paper making, weaving and traditional paintings; night markets, afternoon markets, morning markets; procession of hundreds of monks at dawn collecting alms; cycling with a new German friend to an amazing waterfall park and finally hearing really amazing bird song in the jungle; sharing dinner and whisky in the village, searching the morning market for snake an monitor, our hosts two favorite foods, to share for a future dinner; men fishing for bats at night from the top of the wat on the mountain in the middle of town; full moon light filling the valley; the morning markets: live gophers, rats, mice, fish, a bever, chickens, small birds all for sale on the street; meeting a vender who says she'd bring us snake tomorrow; buying snake!; Lao coffee at dawn chased with lovely, fragrant green tea; amazing hand crafts; museum with amazing royal regalia!, a modern black and white photo exhibit focused on Vipassana retreats in Luang Probang; dining with friends along the Mekong (multiple times!); regional cuisine: olive tapenade, deep friend river kelp with sesame, garlic and tomatoes!!!
Some snapshots:
styrofoam floats
down the Mekong -- what happened
to the coconuts?
----
a line of candles
extinguised by the wind
in Wat Tham Phu Si
chanting and bells enter
with a street dog that lies down
-----
The Mekong River
rolls through miles upon miles
of villages
fishing boats, slow boats, homes
floating an ancient valley
-----
Haiku: Upon Seeing Morning Procession
may I justly represent
that small part of truth
I embody
-----
streams of orange cloth--
monks collecting alms at dawn
in Luang Probang
monks collecting alms at dawn
in Luang Probang
-----
men fishing
for bats
on Wat Than Phu Si
OR
two men fishing
for bats under the full moon
on Wat Than Phu Si
2 comments:
wishing i could still be there with you...
it all sounds incredible!
my thought are with you as i walk in the full-moonlight casting a shadow in it's brightness.
cool, crisp winter air. my ears tingle as i return
to our warm hobbit house.
xoxoxox, me
Hey Jamie,
I am at the hospital and your stories are soothing while I attend to Doreen after her surgery.
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