On the road again – to see a bit of the exotic Far East with Overseas Adventure Travel and our travelling companions Jo Wilson and Carol Bennett.  We visited Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, with a just a little taste of Bangkok, Thailand.  We left home in mid-January and traveled via Chicago and Tokyo for 24 hours to reach Bangkok, Thailand.  After an overnight rest, we flew on to Vientiane, Laos and then to Luang Prabang, Laos.  After five days in Laos, we flew back to Bangkok and enjoyed a short city tour there.  After overnight in Bangkok, we flew to Yangon, Myanmar (aka Rangoon, Burma).  During two weeks in Myanmar, we had four more internal flights and then it was back to Bangkok.  Another overnight and we flew to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  We spent 6 days in Cambodia and then flew back to Bangkok for one last night.    Then it was time to reverse our route and head home – a long ride, but a great trip.   This blog is one of four that describe our adventures in three countries and one big city.    

LAOS

Laos is a small Buddhist country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. It was once known as the land of a million elephants, but today it’s officially known as the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.  Laos is located in the Mekong River Valley, where the history of human civilization stretches back over 10,000 years.  After periods of rule by the French and Japanese, Laos was caught up in a long civil war which ended the monarchy, and the Communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975.   Many people fled the country, but eventually the government lifted religious restrictions on Buddhism and travel restrictions on visitors.  By the late 1990’s, the economy was growing and the country was re-opened to the world.  We visited in and around Vientiane (the capital) and Laung Prabang (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). 

Vientiane is Asia’s smallest capital, located on a bend in the wide Mekong River.  The city has survived many changes over the centuries, but it still contains many fine examples of Buddhist and Colonial-era architecture.  It may not be a big city, but it is a busy, bustling place.  The streets are alive with bicycles, scooters, trucks, and tuk-tuks.

 

It’s not hard to understand why there are frequent power outages …

The Black Stupa (or That Dam) is located on a quiet roundabout near the US Embassy.  A stupa is an inverted bell shape (or unopened lotus flower) structure that usually contains relics of the Buddha.  Legend has it that a seven-headed water serpent – a ‘Naga’ - lived here to protect this stupa that was once covered in pure gold. During the Siamese-Laotian war in the 1820s, the gold was pillaged and taken to Siam (now Thailand).

Nearby is the Morning Market (or Talat Sao), a huge complex of shops catering to locals as well as tourists.  There are shops selling everything from electronics to home appliances, handicrafts, antiques, jewelry, textiles, and local produce.  We even found a couple of postcards. 

 

The Grand Shrine of Vientiane is The Great Sacred Stupa (or Pha That Luang), a huge golden three-level structure with a tall spire (150 feet high) and surrounded by a cloister.  It was built in 1566 over an old stupa holding a holy Buddhist relic and today is recognized as a most holy site, the Lao national symbol. 

There are several beautiful temples next to the Great Sacred Stupa. These are home to many Buddha statues, including a fat Happy Buddha and a huge Reclining Buddha.

 

Toward the front of the complex is a statue of the former king, who is still revered by the Lao people.  Nearby is a “spirit house,” a small shrine dedicated to the protective spirit of a place.  Most houses and businesses have a spirit house placed in an auspicious spot, usually in a corner of the property. This little house is intended to provide a shelter for spirits which could cause problems if not appeased. Votive offerings, candles and incense may be left at the spirit house.

 

Note: The practice of animism – the belief that natural objects and phenomena are inhabited by spirits - is alive and well in Laos.  Animism is the predominant religion among many highland ethnic groups, but even among the Buddhist majority, many retain a belief in sprits associated with day-to-day life – health, home and nature. 

Finally, no temple complex is complete without its own collections of shops, catering to tourists and locals, selling food, souvenirs and religious items.  One woman was selling birds to be released for good luck.

The Victory Gate Monument (or Patuxai) is a local rendition of Paris' Arc de Triomphe. Besides the elaborate Buddhist decorations, it differs from the original in having four gates instead of two and being just a bit taller.   The monument is known locally as the “Vertical Runway,” a reference to the fact that it was built from concrete donated by the US for a new airport.  We climbed to the 7th story for a nice view of central Vientiane (and three levels of souvenir shops). 

 

 The House the Emerald Buddha (or Haw Phra Kaew) is an elegant structure, formerly King Setthathirat's royal temple.  It housed the magical Emerald Buddha (pha kaew) after it was taken from Siam; the Siamese took it back in 1779 and the image is now housed in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew.  The building no longer operates as a temple, but has been turned into a small museum of Buddha images.

 

Wat Si Saket is thought to be the oldest standing temple and monastery in Vientiane.  Within the cloister walls are niches housing thousands of Buddha images large and small, made of wood, stone, silver and bronze. In the center of the courtyard is an ordination hall housing yet more Buddhas and beautiful but fading murals of the Buddha's past lives.

 

 

 Wat Si Muang is a small, very active Buddhist temple that is more interesting for its story than its architecture.  In 1566 when King Setthathirat founded the temple, Si Muang was a young pregnant woman in a nearby village. According to local superstition, it was necessary to appease the spirits with a human sacrifice when the ground was first consecrated and the pillar marking the foundation of the city was built. Si Muang jumped into a hole in the ground before the pillar was lowered and was crushed to death by the lowering of the pillar itself. To this day, Si Muang is still worshiped as a kind of patron saint, and the temple here is named after her.





Inside the temple, there are two rooms.  The front room is usually a quiet place, with a monk on hand to give blessings.  Today, the front room is filled with flowers and other offerings to honor the head monk, who had just died. 

 

  

The rear room of the temple houses the large main altar, which is crowded with Buddha images and a steady stream of visitors saying prayers, giving thanks, and making offerings. 

Off to one side, there is a monk chanting, giving blessings to a young woman.  Now it’s our turn to learn more about Buddhism as practiced here in Laos (smoothly blended with animism to keep those spirits happy).  We are invited to participate in a baci ceremony. 

Baci (meaning “calling of the souls”) is an animist ritual used to celebrate important events and occasions, like births and marriages and also entering the monkhood, departing, returning, beginning a new year, and welcoming or bidding etc.  Our guide believed it was important for us as travelers, since some of our souls may have gotten lost as we moved around.    Calling them back and securing them in place would re-establish equilibrium and well-being.

The ritual of the baci involves burning candles with the wax dripping into holy water, and a monk chanting, sprinkling participants with holy water and finally tying strings around each person’s wrist to preserve good luck.  It’s really more complicated than described here, but it was certainly a bonding experience for our little group of travelers.

 

Luang Prabang is the former royal capital of Laos.  It is nestled among the mountains on the banks of the Mekong River, with great natural beauty as well as many (MANY) temples and old colonial buildings.  UNESCO has named the town as a World Heritage Site in recognition of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by European colonials in the 1800s.  There are over 80 temples in Luang Prabang, and Buddhist monks are a common sight through town.

Thanks to UNESCO protection, only small vehicles can navigate the streets of the old town.  That meant our bus dropped us at the edge of town, and we boarded tuk-tuks for the transfer to our hotel. 

 Our first stop was the Royal Palace Museum, which was built around 1905 during the reign of King Sisavang Vong and served as his palace.  In 1975 the Royal Family was imprisoned in a “re-education camp” where they later died.  The throne room and royal reception rooms are spectacular, and the whole complex is decorated with mosaics, paintings, furniture, and household goods used by the Royal Family.   You'll have to take our word for it - no photography allowed.

Nearby is a small but beautiful temple (Wat Ho Pah Bang) being built to house the Prabang Buddha.  This Buddha came from the King of Khmer when Buddhism was first introduced in Laos in the 14th century.  It is a particularly sacred image that is now housed in a small room in the palace museum – soon it will have its own special place. 

On the way to our next stop, we came across a couple of racks covered with rice cakes drying in the sun.  Behind the wall, we found their source – a family business with the women hard at work cranking out more goodies.

 

Gold City Monastery  (Wat Xieng Toung) is the oldest monastery in town and one of the most beautiful.  Considered by the locals to be the most important symbol of their country’s religious heritage, it is notable for the brilliant colored-glass mosaics that adorn several of the main buildings.  The temple here was built by the King in 1560 and was maintained under royal patronage until 1975. 

 

 

Another small temple in our ‘neighborhood’ was Wat Nong Sikhounmuang.  It had a Buddha statue unlike anything we saw elsewhere – the Buddha seemed almost skeletal.

 

In late afternoon, we headed to Mt. Phou Si, the sacred mountain that is perhaps the best-known landmark in Luang Prabang.  We climbed the 328 steps leading up to a four-sided stupa (That Chomsi), built in 1804.  The stupa is more impressive when seen from afar, but sunset viewed from the top made the climb worthwhile.

 

Laotian Barbecue was on the menu for dinner – it’s a traditional meal with meat and vegetables seared on a dome shaped grill while soup simmers in the pot that surrounded the grill.  Lots of group participation.  We did okay until our guide talked us into adding a raw egg to the soup mixture. 

Back at the base of Mt. Phou Si, the main road closes at dusk and becomes a sprawling open-air market, offering a wide variety of local handicrafts, especially textiles. This Night Market bears no similarity to the Morning Market; this one is clearly aimed at visitors.

 

Alms-giving is another Buddhist tradition that our guide encouraged us to experience.  Every morning at dawn the monks leave the monasteries and walk single file, oldest first, carrying their alms bowls in front of them. Laypeople wait for them, sometimes kneeling, and place food (usually sticky rice), flowers or incense sticks in the bowls. The ritual is done in silence; the almsgivers do not speak, nor do the monks. The monks walk in meditation, and the almsgivers reciprocate with respect by not disturbing the monk's meditative peace. For hundreds of years, the ritual has cemented the symbiotic relationship between the monks and the almsgivers who maintain them - by supporting the monks (who need the food) and helping the laypeople (who need spiritual redemption).

Our guide made arrangements for us to participate in alms-giving on a quiet side street, where we were the only tourists along the way.  He arranged us on a mat, draped us with a scarf and provided us each with a bowl of sticky rice. 

 

The monks came, we gave them rice, and they moved on.  What a different way to start the day! 

 


Not only were there local residents giving alms, there were also some kids begging for their breakfast.  They knelt with hands together, behind big baskets; from time to time, one of the monks would stop and give them some rice or other food.

 

After alms-giving, we walked on down the street to the morning market, which was in full swing.  This is where the locals shop and it proved to be one of the most fascinating markets we've ever visited. 

At first glance, this market looks just like any other outdoor market in Southeast Asia.  There's a ton of fresh produce.  There’s plenty of meat and poultry, rice, and lots of prepared food as well.

 

But wait a minute – is that really chopped python?   And were those silkworms? And what the heck is in that bucket?  

There were lots of spices and various dried critters, many of which are used to flavor various stews.   Also many forest animals, some cleaned and prepped, and some very much alive (birds in baskets).

 Every few feet we’d see something new and different – and mysterious.  Many of the vendors live in the forests, mountains, and along the rivers surrounding Luang Prabang. Much of what we saw was gathered just for this market. Sometimes it's just a few items....a bird, or maybe a few mushrooms...... The variety is staggering! 

 

After alms and morning market and breakfast, it seemed like the day should be done, but … we headed out of town to get a feel for the country life.  Our first stop was the Tat Kaung Si Bear Rescue Center.  The staff here care for endangered Asiatic black bears that have been rescued from poachers and bear bile farms.  

We hiked the trail to the multi-tiered Tat Kaung Si Waterfalls.  Here the water flows over limestone formations collecting in azure-blue pools at the base of the falls.  The trail ascends along one side, past more falls and more pools, finally ending at a cave near the top of the hill. 

 

From the waterfall, we went to the town of Ban Thinkeo, whose residents are recognized for living and working well with a nearby Hmong village.  The Hmong people constitute about 8% of the population of Laos.  They are not Buddhist, but practice animism.  They assisted the Americans during the Lao Civil War, and their relationship with the Communist authorities is strained.

We stopped first in the Hmong village, a cluster of about 7 huts – with dirt floors, thatched roofs, and no windows.  The village head man welcomed us and invited us into his home.  Our guide facilitated a Q&A session – he had lots of questions about life in America!  He told us about his farm, how he hunted to add meat to their diet, and introduced us to the rest of the family. 

 

From the Hmong Village, we walked to the main part of town – with a short stop at the local blacksmith shop.  The blacksmith was making several different types of tools, while the boy behind him was working a bellows to keep the fire hot.  In town, we met the head man, his wife and kids and were invited into their home for lunch.  It was an impressive menu:  spinach soup, steamed rice, noodles, pork, dried fish, green beans, and a banana for dessert.  Tasted pretty good, too (except for the dried fish).

 

After our adventure in the countryside, we had some free time back in Luang Prabang.  We wandered around the two monasteries across the street from our hotel.  The monks welcomed us as they went about their activities. We particularly enjoyed hearing the chanting as they gathered in the temple at the close of their day.

 

 

On our last day in Laos, we rose early to watch the alms-giving again.  That was easy enough – the gong to wake the monks at 4:00 A.M. worked on us, too.  We had a little different perspective from our balcony viewpoint, but the process was the same – perhaps even better just to watch.  We again saw a little kid begging from the monks – this one was actually sitting with another kid who was giving alms.

 

 After breakfast, we’re off on another adventure – a tuk-tuk ride to the village of Ban Sang Khong – not so much a village as a stretch of dirt road lined with homes whose owners specialize in weaving and paper-making.  In the paper-making shops, women pound mulberry bark into paste and then work it in vats of water to make paper, setting the finished pieces out to dry.  Their specialty is paper embellished with small flowers, leaves, and grasses.

 

 

In the weaving shops, women of various ages bent over their looms, crafting colorful silks into scarves, throws, and pashminas.  It would have been easy to buy one of every color in the rainbow.  

 


We then boarded a boat – a long skinny one, with a nice cover for shade – and set sail for a short cruise on the Mekong River.  The Mekong has its source in Tibet and then flows nearly 3000 miles through China, Laos, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.  For thousands of years the Mekong River has been an important source of food and conduit for people and goods between the towns along its banks.  Aquatic biodiversity in the Mekong river system is the second highest in the world after the Amazon.  Many millions of people are highly dependent on the river and its resources for their livelihood and their nutrition, both of which are increasingly impacted by the building of hydro-electric dams, especially in China.  Ecologically, the future of the Mekong River Basin looks grim.

 

Today, the river is muddy, but the boat ride is delightful.  Heading north, we saw several families panning for gold; the men haul buckets of soil to the river’s edge and the women sift it through baskets in search of nuggets.

We stopped at the village of Ban Xang Hai, known locally as the ‘whiskey village.’  It seems the folks here have quite a reputation for making the potent rice whiskey known as lao lao.  Several variations were available for sampling or purchase, including bottles with snakes or scorpions inside.  Yummy.

 

After a quick taste of the local brew, we wandered around town.  At the temple, the monks had gathered for lunch (they don’t eat anything after 12 Noon – until breakfast the next day).  People from the village brought in platters of food, mostly rice and fruit.

Our cruise destination was Pak Ou Caves, located right on the river.  The caves are visible through a jagged opening in the cliff face, and are accessible by steep stairs.  Inside the caves are hundreds of Buddha statues of all sizes, shapes, and conditions. Most of them are donated by locals, who consider the caves to be a very important spiritual site. It’s a local tradition to make an annual trek to the caves to add another Buddha to the collection. People have been coming to the site for over 500 years to worship and pray, and some of the older statues are crumbling. From the upper cave, there’s a nice view of the river and the boats waiting below.

 

 

While we were visiting the caves, the boat captain’s wife prepared us a delicious lunch.  What a fine way to travel.

Back to Luang Prabang for a last look around and then it’s time to say goodbye to Laos and our guide, Tui.  Our farewell dinner included another baci ceremony (better safe than sorry) and traditional Lao folk dancing.