Today I woke up early to the sound of a beating drum. It was a quarter to 6am. It was coming from the Xienthong temple nearby signaling the start of the alms-giving ceremony.
I had been meaning to get up early to see the alms-giving ceremony in town, called “tak bat”. Tak bat is a morning ritual where the monks from the temples go out in a single file procession through the streets of Luang Prabang to receive offerings from the laypeople. These offerings typically include rice, food, flowers, incense and other gifts. This tradition is centuries old. The monks are lined up by age, with the oldest leading the line. They walk in a meditative state receiving their alms. The ceremony is conducted in silence. I observed the ritual outside my hotel, watching from a respectful distance as an old man gave his offering of sticky rice to dozens of monks walking by. Not a word was exchanged between them. Further down the street in front of the Xienthong temple a small group of faithful Buddhists were also handing out alms to the monks. It was a beautiful and peaceful ritual to observe.
Alms-giving ceremony
Tak Bat, the alms-giving ceremony. The oldest monks lead the procession.
Tak Bat, alms-giving ceremony comes to an end and the monks file back into the temple.
I went back to sleep for a few hours and then got up for real to eat an early lunch nearby at a little French bakery (there are a few in the area and they are delightful). After buying my bus ticket to Phonsavan for tomorrow, I decided to get out of the city before the madness of the the New Year festivities commenced for the day. I walked east to the end of the Luang Prabang old town peninsula (past the Xienthong Temple) where I spied a bamboo bridge that crossed the Ou river (which brakes off of the Mekong to create the Luang Prabang peninsula).
Bamboo Bridge to cross the Mak Ou
After climbing up a hill on the other side, I found a dirt road and followed it.
Road past the bamboo bridge
I had heard that over the bamboo bridge and along this dirt road there are a series of little silk villages, where the villagers specialize in different types of weaving. I, of course, wanted to check these out.
I made my way through the towns of Ban Xieng Leck and Ban Xangkhong. There were plenty of little silk shops between the two. Unfortunately many were closed due to the new year festivities. I saw some of the looms in the shops, but no one was working them. Being here during Lao new year has been a bit frustrating. The water fight gets old very quickly, and also a lot of activities that interest me are not running. For example, I had been trying to find a silk weaving class but none are available during the New Year celebrations. I guess I’ll have to leave that for next time.
Looms at one of the closed shops at the silk villages
After walking around the silk villages, I made my way back to the peninsula and crossed the precarious bamboo bridge again. I seriously don’t understand how that thing is standing. It feels like it shouldn’t be able to support any weight!
View of Luang Prabang peninsula and bamboo bridge
The festivities were in full swing, and the parade was underway. It seemed to end at the Xienthong Temple, right by my hotel, so I made my way through some back alleyways and slipped into the temple complex. All the monks were lined up watching the parade. It was such an incredible sight.
Monks lined up at Xienthong temple watching the parade
And then all these different groups of folks paraded past. Many were dressed in different outfits and costumes.
Boys dressed as monkeys; Girls dressed as princesses
Little boys dressed in costume, seated after walking through the parade
Young girls in traditional dress
Beautifully dressed ladies in traditional garb
They all seemed to be carrying offerings to leave at the temple. It was quite a spectacle. There were loads of tourists, monks, and Lao people everywhere.
Because the water fight continued for the rest of the day, I decided to take a few hours to rest at my hotel and read for a bit. In the evening, I headed out again to the night market for the last time. It’s a nice little market and I enjoy walking through it.
I had made a few French friends last night at a little restaurant I went to, and we agreed to meet again at the same restaurant at 8pm to have another meal together. As it turns out, the owner of the restaurant (Dera) decided to close the restaurant early tonight because his staff had worked a very long shift that day. He invited me and my french friends to join him and his staff at a local Lao eatery for dinner. It’s hard to say no to such an offer. We went with Dera and his family to a place a bit outside the city center that specializes in Seen Dat, Laotian-styled barbecue. Here traditional meats and vegetables are seared on a dome-shaped griddle. It made for a fun and unique experience having dinner with only locals! There were absolutely no tourists there, except for us, which made it a rather magical end to my stay in Luang Prabang.
Seen Dat, Laotian-style barbecue
Now I’m back at my hotel, packed and ready for a new adventure. I’ve been in Luang Prabang about 5 days now, and tomorrow I head off to Phonsavan.
Jules Traveler 