01/04 (Fab)
New day, new month, new country, new town. We sadly leave Hanoi early in the morning to get our flight to Luang Prabang. It's a misty morning and a bit damp amd cold, like our hearts. We have truly and purely loved Hanoi and we could have spent more days here. But beautiful and peaceful is waiting for us, arms wide opened. We embrace and leave Hanoi full of images and memories. The sky is overcast today and we don't see Hanoi fading away behind us...maybe it's a sign...
A 50min flights takes us above the North eastern mountains of Laos. The sky is blue and we can already appreciate the beauty of the place. Hills and mountains connected by small dirt roads and windy rivers at their foot uncover underneath the small plane. We land safely in Luang Prabang where a Tuk-Tuk is waiting for us to take us to the hotel. A little cloud in the sky though, Val's mum should have been there with us for this journey. She had to cancel. Another time Marie-Jose, another place, we're thinking of you.
We arrive in the beautiful old and historic town of Luang Prabang, declared a World Heritage area by the UNESCO in the early 90's. Funny enough the ressemblance with Hoi An is striking. Mustard yellow houses and dark wood. The only major difference being that the French colonial influence is more visible in nearly every building. We arrive at our hotel, a bit tired but above all really hot. There might be 15 degrees difference with Hanoi and the sky is blue. We check in to get to our lovely room on the first floor of a very nice French colonial house, with a balcony overlooking an active temple, Wat Sene, where we relax for a moment with a tea...We sleep a bit as the overwelming temperature makes us feel sleepy.
When we wake up we go for a walk around town, it is indeed beautiful and very clean. Scores of Buddhist temples are tucked amongst towering palms, in this small peninsula, where the Mekong River meets the Nam Khan River. There are many 19th century colonial French villas on the main roads, some small cobbled alleyways and little back streets. We visit the most important temple, Wat Xieng Thong, a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture from the 16th century, amazing with its golden facades and mural paintings. The temple was used for the highest royal ceremonies and to temporarily house the bodies of deceased kings. Young monks walk around, vacating to their daily duties. We walk along the Mekong river and the Nam Khan, it feels nice. No wonder this spectacular little town is the main tourism destination in Laos, so many nice places and you can feel it...
Lunch, little break at the hotel, then we go out for dinner, walk a bit more. There is an interesting night market every day in Sakkarine Rd. The road is cut to traffic in those hours and you can buy many stuff from hill tribes and local handicrafts. We go for dinner then back...The city is lovely at night, a nice pace, peaceful...but our first impressions of Laos are mixed. Lao are not so welcoming compared to all the good things we've heard from fellow travellers: they are supposed to be extremely welcoming, friendly and easy going....not that much here!!! The only main difference with Vietnam is that there is no touts and if you say no they don't come back to insist. The city is really touristy to the point that sometimes it feels artificial despite its amazing beauty and stunning architectures and sights...Val compares it with Hoi An which was touristy but a bit more messy, chaotic somehow more alive...
02/04 (Fab)
Bing bong bang, it's 4am: the monks get up to start their daily routine. Right across the street from the guesthouse, our temple is one of the working temples where monks receive their religious teachings and singing. We manage to get back to sleep, the night has been a bit uncomfortable. The A/C has not been working and there is no fan. At 6am, some agitation takes place in the street. The monks are getting ready to gather and leave the temple to walk in silent to receive the morning alms. This ritual has been taking place since the beginning of buddhism and it is amazing to see the monks line up on the pavement and get the food donations from the local people, kneeling in front of them and generously donating in the little jar the monks carry. It is only a little spoiled by ever so stupid organised Western groups who talk, laugh, snap the monks with their camera right under their nose. The morning is grey but this is a beautiful ritual to be witnessed and so colourful thanks to the saffron of 250 robes highly contrasting with the white temple walls.
After an hour or so, and the last monks gone we decide to go back to sleep for a bit longer, it was a great moment, silents in our bacony, observing the religious fervor.
Wake up, we start organising our trip in Laos. We cannot do the whole country so decide to go South, we will see the North another time. The south is supposed to be less touristy and wilder, that suits us. we book some bus journeys with travel agents, have lunch on the Mekong river. We watch the villagers, the boats and fishermen, we both enjoy the natural beauty of the Mekong river banks, it is stunning. We walk to see more temples, exlore the alleyways, admire the distinctive colonial architecture and dazzling temples. Then after a nutella crepe for Val, we climb the Phousi hill, hill right at the centre of the old town, there is a temple and the view is simply breathtaking. From here, you can get an almost 360º view of Luang Prabang!! On the north side, you can see the Mekong River. In a small monastery, there is a Buddha footprint, such Buddha "footprints" are found in all Southeast Asian Buddhist countries. Usually they are richly decorated ornaments with the approximate outline of a footprint, here it is simple. There are too many tourists at the top but we go down a little and find a nice spot to watch the sunset, over the Mekong and hills. The scenery during sunset is truly magical, with the monks chanting in the background, amazing!
A litle walk in the night market, a stop in a temple to listen to the chantings of the monks, a nice dinner then it is time to go back to the hotel. Here is the relaxed pace of life in Luang Prabang! We write a bit then bedtime!
03/04 (Val)
I wake up again at 6am to watch the monks from our small balcomy, Fab stays in bed. For five minutes it is very quiet, few people in the streets getting ready, the monks preparing to exit the temples...They emerge from the back entrance of the temple, joining the tail end of the line formed by their neighbours...so many temples in the street and many monks here...:This ritual of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the faithful residents really touches me, simplicity and beauty, quietness in the streets. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the ritual. Buddhism is really central to life in this lush World Heritage-listed city and the daily alms-giving ceremony is a major attraction in itself,drawing hordes of tourists...suddenly few groups of Asian and Western tourists appear and they start giving alms too...They try to do it nicely but mosdt of tem aren't robably buddhists...I admire the monks then reflect on the tourism here...the city is beautiful but I feel a bit spoiled by the mass effect. Though World Heritage status and tourism have probably brought economic benefits to Luang Prabang, they have brought change that could ultimately alter the very character that made this Lao city the historical and cultural gem that it is. Already, many buildings have been converted into hotels, shops, restaurants...The town is beautiful but sometimes feels artificial as so perfectly refurbished, preserved with so many cafes, restaurants, shops for tourists...
I go back to bed for an hour then we get ready to embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River to reach some buddha caves. The cruise is nice, only 6 people on the slow boat and the driver and his kid, we see breathtaking views of the tranquil countryside, small villages and the Mekong, fascinating river...Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine, the village is now full of tourists shops, very spoiled by tourism, people selling wine and scarves, jewellery....eels very artificial. We ten reach the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. There are approximately 4000 Buddha figurines, inside we find many little Buddha statues as well as offerings, it is really nice.
After a cruise back to the town, we rush to have lunch in half an hour before going to Kuang Si Waterfall, a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall located 30 km outside Luang Prabang. The ride is bumpy and bendy, the waterfalls are nice but with many tourists swimming and chilling out...at some placs, it even feels like a giant swimming pool full of Westerners!!! again it is beautiful but it feels a bit too touristy for us...Again we feel the negative effects of tourism...more here than in Vietnam!
Back to our hotel to chill out and listen to the monks chanting in the temple opposite. Their chanting is mesmerizing, very constant melodius rythm...beautiful.
New day, new month, new country, new town. We sadly leave Hanoi early in the morning to get our flight to Luang Prabang. It's a misty morning and a bit damp amd cold, like our hearts. We have truly and purely loved Hanoi and we could have spent more days here. But beautiful and peaceful is waiting for us, arms wide opened. We embrace and leave Hanoi full of images and memories. The sky is overcast today and we don't see Hanoi fading away behind us...maybe it's a sign...
A 50min flights takes us above the North eastern mountains of Laos. The sky is blue and we can already appreciate the beauty of the place. Hills and mountains connected by small dirt roads and windy rivers at their foot uncover underneath the small plane. We land safely in Luang Prabang where a Tuk-Tuk is waiting for us to take us to the hotel. A little cloud in the sky though, Val's mum should have been there with us for this journey. She had to cancel. Another time Marie-Jose, another place, we're thinking of you.
We arrive in the beautiful old and historic town of Luang Prabang, declared a World Heritage area by the UNESCO in the early 90's. Funny enough the ressemblance with Hoi An is striking. Mustard yellow houses and dark wood. The only major difference being that the French colonial influence is more visible in nearly every building. We arrive at our hotel, a bit tired but above all really hot. There might be 15 degrees difference with Hanoi and the sky is blue. We check in to get to our lovely room on the first floor of a very nice French colonial house, with a balcony overlooking an active temple, Wat Sene, where we relax for a moment with a tea...We sleep a bit as the overwelming temperature makes us feel sleepy.
When we wake up we go for a walk around town, it is indeed beautiful and very clean. Scores of Buddhist temples are tucked amongst towering palms, in this small peninsula, where the Mekong River meets the Nam Khan River. There are many 19th century colonial French villas on the main roads, some small cobbled alleyways and little back streets. We visit the most important temple, Wat Xieng Thong, a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture from the 16th century, amazing with its golden facades and mural paintings. The temple was used for the highest royal ceremonies and to temporarily house the bodies of deceased kings. Young monks walk around, vacating to their daily duties. We walk along the Mekong river and the Nam Khan, it feels nice. No wonder this spectacular little town is the main tourism destination in Laos, so many nice places and you can feel it...
Lunch, little break at the hotel, then we go out for dinner, walk a bit more. There is an interesting night market every day in Sakkarine Rd. The road is cut to traffic in those hours and you can buy many stuff from hill tribes and local handicrafts. We go for dinner then back...The city is lovely at night, a nice pace, peaceful...but our first impressions of Laos are mixed. Lao are not so welcoming compared to all the good things we've heard from fellow travellers: they are supposed to be extremely welcoming, friendly and easy going....not that much here!!! The only main difference with Vietnam is that there is no touts and if you say no they don't come back to insist. The city is really touristy to the point that sometimes it feels artificial despite its amazing beauty and stunning architectures and sights...Val compares it with Hoi An which was touristy but a bit more messy, chaotic somehow more alive...
02/04 (Fab)
Bing bong bang, it's 4am: the monks get up to start their daily routine. Right across the street from the guesthouse, our temple is one of the working temples where monks receive their religious teachings and singing. We manage to get back to sleep, the night has been a bit uncomfortable. The A/C has not been working and there is no fan. At 6am, some agitation takes place in the street. The monks are getting ready to gather and leave the temple to walk in silent to receive the morning alms. This ritual has been taking place since the beginning of buddhism and it is amazing to see the monks line up on the pavement and get the food donations from the local people, kneeling in front of them and generously donating in the little jar the monks carry. It is only a little spoiled by ever so stupid organised Western groups who talk, laugh, snap the monks with their camera right under their nose. The morning is grey but this is a beautiful ritual to be witnessed and so colourful thanks to the saffron of 250 robes highly contrasting with the white temple walls.
After an hour or so, and the last monks gone we decide to go back to sleep for a bit longer, it was a great moment, silents in our bacony, observing the religious fervor.
Wake up, we start organising our trip in Laos. We cannot do the whole country so decide to go South, we will see the North another time. The south is supposed to be less touristy and wilder, that suits us. we book some bus journeys with travel agents, have lunch on the Mekong river. We watch the villagers, the boats and fishermen, we both enjoy the natural beauty of the Mekong river banks, it is stunning. We walk to see more temples, exlore the alleyways, admire the distinctive colonial architecture and dazzling temples. Then after a nutella crepe for Val, we climb the Phousi hill, hill right at the centre of the old town, there is a temple and the view is simply breathtaking. From here, you can get an almost 360º view of Luang Prabang!! On the north side, you can see the Mekong River. In a small monastery, there is a Buddha footprint, such Buddha "footprints" are found in all Southeast Asian Buddhist countries. Usually they are richly decorated ornaments with the approximate outline of a footprint, here it is simple. There are too many tourists at the top but we go down a little and find a nice spot to watch the sunset, over the Mekong and hills. The scenery during sunset is truly magical, with the monks chanting in the background, amazing!
A litle walk in the night market, a stop in a temple to listen to the chantings of the monks, a nice dinner then it is time to go back to the hotel. Here is the relaxed pace of life in Luang Prabang! We write a bit then bedtime!
03/04 (Val)
I wake up again at 6am to watch the monks from our small balcomy, Fab stays in bed. For five minutes it is very quiet, few people in the streets getting ready, the monks preparing to exit the temples...They emerge from the back entrance of the temple, joining the tail end of the line formed by their neighbours...so many temples in the street and many monks here...:This ritual of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the faithful residents really touches me, simplicity and beauty, quietness in the streets. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the ritual. Buddhism is really central to life in this lush World Heritage-listed city and the daily alms-giving ceremony is a major attraction in itself,drawing hordes of tourists...suddenly few groups of Asian and Western tourists appear and they start giving alms too...They try to do it nicely but mosdt of tem aren't robably buddhists...I admire the monks then reflect on the tourism here...the city is beautiful but I feel a bit spoiled by the mass effect. Though World Heritage status and tourism have probably brought economic benefits to Luang Prabang, they have brought change that could ultimately alter the very character that made this Lao city the historical and cultural gem that it is. Already, many buildings have been converted into hotels, shops, restaurants...The town is beautiful but sometimes feels artificial as so perfectly refurbished, preserved with so many cafes, restaurants, shops for tourists...
I go back to bed for an hour then we get ready to embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River to reach some buddha caves. The cruise is nice, only 6 people on the slow boat and the driver and his kid, we see breathtaking views of the tranquil countryside, small villages and the Mekong, fascinating river...Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine, the village is now full of tourists shops, very spoiled by tourism, people selling wine and scarves, jewellery....eels very artificial. We ten reach the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. There are approximately 4000 Buddha figurines, inside we find many little Buddha statues as well as offerings, it is really nice.
After a cruise back to the town, we rush to have lunch in half an hour before going to Kuang Si Waterfall, a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall located 30 km outside Luang Prabang. The ride is bumpy and bendy, the waterfalls are nice but with many tourists swimming and chilling out...at some placs, it even feels like a giant swimming pool full of Westerners!!! again it is beautiful but it feels a bit too touristy for us...Again we feel the negative effects of tourism...more here than in Vietnam!
Back to our hotel to chill out and listen to the monks chanting in the temple opposite. Their chanting is mesmerizing, very constant melodius rythm...beautiful.
2 comments:
thank you for thinking to me in Luang Prabang. Many kisses maman mj
Crepe au nutella!!!! you go girl and treat yourself ;-)
Bises
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