May
28, Monday
Our second day cruising down the Mekong. We check out of the hotel at 7:30 and make our way back to the boat. Nice weather today and it is a leisurely walk back down to the water.
On our way down to the river. Mama's little helper ?
Thankfully I have help with my luggage, this time from local boys (same as last night).
From this series of photos you can see how far down we need to walk
Yes, it is a very long way down. Now think back about what I mentioned yesterday about the high water mark in the town
It is all the way up that hill and around to the left where the trees are. That is how high the water rose during the 2008 floods.
I purchased a toy for the little boy last night and give him the toy to play with; it is a small motorcycle with a tiger or cat driving it. If you pull the string on the motorcycle, it takes off all by itself. I don’t think the little boy has any toys, and he does not appear to know what to do with this one, even though his mother and our guide try to show him what to do. I guess he would have related better to a boat, but he probably would have thrown that one into the Mekong, since that’s where boats belong in his world.
Here he is with his mother, with the toy in his hands
Our local guide during the cruise has made friends with the little guy and shows him how the toy works
He doesn't look like he understands, or knows what to do with it
but after a few more tries he starts getting it. He is so cute... actually they both are!
We sail quietly for a number of hours, have lunch onboard again.
Can you see the tiny little boat with the person in it, profiled against the sand bank. Just to give you a bit of perspective.
Buffalo walking the beat.
A small town along the Laos side... or is that the Thai side?
These rock formations intreage me, what are they? Has the flooding brought them from somewhere else?
A village along the way
Quite poor by the looks of it.
Our boat stops so that we can visit a village
We stop to visit a village on the banks of the Mekong. They are trying to grow peanuts to sell as a cash crop and they are also processing wooden boards, whether for their own use or to sell is not clear.
They are trying to grow peanuts in the sand banks. I feel bad that our guid has pulled out one of the plants and I get him to put it back into the ground.
A look back at our boat on the Mekong river
Some little girls show up to greet us. They are very shy at first and are giggling, but they soon lead us to their village and become our official greeting committee.
No adults came to meet us; we only saw the children of the town. We all wondered if this was a welcome visit by tourists or seen as an intrusion! They have a nice clean little village however, with a nice common watering area in the middle where they can meet to wash, clean their clothes, do the dishes, etc.
The community watering area. It has a nice high nozzle so they can shower, but also has a cement base to retain the water if needed. I kind of like the bench; looks like a nice place to sit and soak your weary feet.
One of the houses in the village. I liked the high planter in front; looks like they are growing onions
Here is another house, much bigger, with a solar panel high up on a post and a huge satellite dish. The modern world makes its way everywhere.
Seems like they have some type of tools to make rough wooden boards
From higher ground we see a few more houses
We get back down to the boats where the little girls have brought bracelets with them to sell to us. OK, yes, I bought some woven bracelets from them. The little girls were so cute.
This area across the water may be where they are cutting trees to make the boards.
Back on the boat, the ladies have prepared a real feast for us; at least 6 different dishes in addition to sticky rice.
OK, these rocks are very strange, look at the lilac colouring.
People using long poles with huge nets attached to catch some fish
The mighty Mekong River
Kids playing on the sand dunes.
While I was preparing photos to upload to my blog I noticed something was in the water so I zoomed in on it.
It looks like an animal, tied to a rope, or caught in a fisherman's net !
And there are even more kids on the other side of the sand dune, below their village under the trees
Beautiful shot of the mountain side and the fields half way up.
More people fishing, all using different techniques
Approaching Pak Ou Caves
In late afternoon we stop at the Pak Ou Caves which our guide tells us were first discovered back in the 9th century. “The first use of the caves for religious purposes was at the time when the local population worshipped Phi, or the spirits of nature. It is said that the caves are associated with a river spirit. By the 16th century Buddhism had been adopted by the royal families of Lao and the caves received patronage from that time until 1975. Many of the carvings in the cave date from between the 18th and 20th centuries”.
There are said to be more than 4000 sculptures of Buddha in the caves; 2500 of these in lower one. Some of them are carved of wood or animal horn, some are made of bronze or ceramic, some are molded out of tree resin.
As we approach the docking area below the caves, you can see how high up they are (***)
Climbing up the stairs to the mouth of the lower cave
Here comes Scott, Violet is resting before making it up the last stretch, and that is our boat below, tied to the dock.
Inside the cave, their are Buddha statues of every shape and size.
The caves were “re-discovered in the 16th century, supposedly by King Setthathirath, and have been used ever since to pray to Buddha. There are thousands of Buddha statues everywhere you look. For years, the caves were inhabited by monks.
Here is a sampling of them. "There are three common positions for the Buddhas in this cave: “Calling for rain” with the figure standing and the arms pointing downwards; “Calling the Earth to Witness” with the figure seated and one hand extended downwards, and “Meditation” where the hands are crossed in front of the seated figure. "
On the wall outside the opening of the cave are the marks showing how high the water rose in 1966 and again in 2008. That is really high up this mountain.
See the rock jutting down over the staircase? The white markings on the lower portion are the high water marks. Now go back up the the photo I marked with (***). That is how high up the water came.
As you can see, the lower cave is very high up from the level of the river, yet just at the lower cave’s entrance there is a water mark showing how high the river rose in 1966 and again in 2008. As I look out from the mouth of the cave I try to imagine the devastation this flood must have caused in all the neighbouring valleys. Most of the houses we have seen along the river are made of wood and would have been just washed away.
The view from the mouth of the cave
There are actually two caves at this site: the lower one Tham Ting (Flower) that I've just shown you, and the upper one Tham Phum (Upper) which is around the other side of the mountain. The white staircase that moves off to the left on the photo leads to the upper cave.
I opt to go up with the rest of the group to visit the upper cave, Tam Ting. There is a concrete staircase leading up and around the mountain to reach it. We need flashlights to enter the cave as it is not lighted. Contrary to the lower cave, I could see how the upper one could have been used by monks living here. I tried to take photos, but even with the flash it did not come out very well.
The view from the other side of the path leading to the upper cave
A very bright green grasshopper our guide showed us as we climbed up to the upper level
And a "stick" insect as well. I would have just thought that was a twig off a tree !
We enter the upper cave and I'm glad I brought my small purse light (merci Hélène). It is pitch black in there.
On our way out I try to take a picture of the interior of the upper cave.
I tried to use my older camera since it was really much better at taking photos in the dark, but it will not open (I just hear the grinding of the motor trying to get the lens to open.) I think it has finally given up ! It has been a great little camera and I’m going to miss having it. Purchased in Seattle when I visited Renée & John, a few years before I retired. 905 of photos taken with that Sony were good; only about 80% are good with the new one ! Very disappointing.
“The first known drawing of Tam Ting is in a report by Francis Garnier, which describes the voyage of exploration of the Mekong River that took place from 1865 to 1867.” The cave extends for some 54 metres and is quite dark at the rear. A figure of a swan is at the upper end of the water trough while a dragon is at the lower end. Sunflowers and Lao art motifs decorate the trough. Further into the cave are groups of sculptures some more than 1 ½ meters tall, while others are no larger than 10 cm.”
We make our way back down the mountain and back on to the boat. Only 28 more km down the Mekong before our cruise ends.
That water mark on the rock is probably the normal high water mark
Now look at how high it got in 1966 and 2008, about twice as high as the regular line
We pass a boat yard, where they are building a new long boat. Amazing. Look at how tiny the workers are up there.
As we appraoch Luang Prabang, we start seeing some very impressive houses
Arriving in Luang Prabang. Oh no ! Not another hill, and it is a long one !
My last look at the mighty Mekong, as we leave our long boat.
We arrived in Luang Prabang at around 4 pm and were met at the top of the hill by a mini van that would take us to our Guest House for the next 3 days. We had time to settle into the Thong Bay Guest House, shower and get into some fresh clothing. We are actually in small cottages and will be served breakfast in our cottages tomorrow morning. Lindsey has opted to go for the 3 hour trek tomorrow morning with John, Mike, Karsten and our local guide and they will be leaving early, so Melissa and I are sharing a cottage.
It is quite nice and has beautiful mosquito nets.
This is the shower enclosure in the washroom.
And this is our verandah, where we will be served breakfast tomorrow morning ! OOH. Can't wait.
The view of the gardens from our verandah.
After dropping off my laundry to be cleaned, we all take off for the night markets and for a light meal in town. I purchase some cotton pants and some earrings and admiringly eye all the sarongs. The materials they use are so beautifully woven. Must come back to take some pictures.
Scott stears us to a very narrow side street, full of food vendors. It is mostly buffet style, so there is lots to choose from.
Lots of vegetables and cold dishes. Good because there doesn't seem to be any refrigeration here.
And how long has the meat been sitting out on these tables?
We end up eating from street vendors and although everyone else buys chicken and fish which has been roasted on a stick, I opt for a vegetarian meal tonight.
We walk past a nice French bakery afterwards where I buy the most delicious brownie I’ve eaten in MONTHS! I think I've died and gone to heaven. Supposedly the baguettes we will be served for breakfast tomorrow morning will come from here as well.
We walked along a few streets of Luang Prabang for awhile, and although many in the group were willing to walk back to our Guest House (at least a ½ hour walk away in the dark and the last part on unpaved uneven roads) I opt for a tuk-tuk and Melissa comes with me.
We are back in our cottage in no time and settle down for the rest of the evening.
Our second day cruising down the Mekong. We check out of the hotel at 7:30 and make our way back to the boat. Nice weather today and it is a leisurely walk back down to the water.
On our way down to the river. Mama's little helper ?
Thankfully I have help with my luggage, this time from local boys (same as last night).
From this series of photos you can see how far down we need to walk
Yes, it is a very long way down. Now think back about what I mentioned yesterday about the high water mark in the town
It is all the way up that hill and around to the left where the trees are. That is how high the water rose during the 2008 floods.
I purchased a toy for the little boy last night and give him the toy to play with; it is a small motorcycle with a tiger or cat driving it. If you pull the string on the motorcycle, it takes off all by itself. I don’t think the little boy has any toys, and he does not appear to know what to do with this one, even though his mother and our guide try to show him what to do. I guess he would have related better to a boat, but he probably would have thrown that one into the Mekong, since that’s where boats belong in his world.
Here he is with his mother, with the toy in his hands
Our local guide during the cruise has made friends with the little guy and shows him how the toy works
He doesn't look like he understands, or knows what to do with it
but after a few more tries he starts getting it. He is so cute... actually they both are!
We sail quietly for a number of hours, have lunch onboard again.
Can you see the tiny little boat with the person in it, profiled against the sand bank. Just to give you a bit of perspective.
Buffalo walking the beat.
A small town along the Laos side... or is that the Thai side?
These rock formations intreage me, what are they? Has the flooding brought them from somewhere else?
A village along the way
Quite poor by the looks of it.
Our boat stops so that we can visit a village
We stop to visit a village on the banks of the Mekong. They are trying to grow peanuts to sell as a cash crop and they are also processing wooden boards, whether for their own use or to sell is not clear.
They are trying to grow peanuts in the sand banks. I feel bad that our guid has pulled out one of the plants and I get him to put it back into the ground.
A look back at our boat on the Mekong river
Some little girls show up to greet us. They are very shy at first and are giggling, but they soon lead us to their village and become our official greeting committee.
No adults came to meet us; we only saw the children of the town. We all wondered if this was a welcome visit by tourists or seen as an intrusion! They have a nice clean little village however, with a nice common watering area in the middle where they can meet to wash, clean their clothes, do the dishes, etc.
The community watering area. It has a nice high nozzle so they can shower, but also has a cement base to retain the water if needed. I kind of like the bench; looks like a nice place to sit and soak your weary feet.
One of the houses in the village. I liked the high planter in front; looks like they are growing onions
Here is another house, much bigger, with a solar panel high up on a post and a huge satellite dish. The modern world makes its way everywhere.
Seems like they have some type of tools to make rough wooden boards
From higher ground we see a few more houses
We get back down to the boats where the little girls have brought bracelets with them to sell to us. OK, yes, I bought some woven bracelets from them. The little girls were so cute.
This area across the water may be where they are cutting trees to make the boards.
Back on the boat, the ladies have prepared a real feast for us; at least 6 different dishes in addition to sticky rice.
OK, these rocks are very strange, look at the lilac colouring.
People using long poles with huge nets attached to catch some fish
The mighty Mekong River
Kids playing on the sand dunes.
While I was preparing photos to upload to my blog I noticed something was in the water so I zoomed in on it.
It looks like an animal, tied to a rope, or caught in a fisherman's net !
And there are even more kids on the other side of the sand dune, below their village under the trees
Beautiful shot of the mountain side and the fields half way up.
More people fishing, all using different techniques
Approaching Pak Ou Caves
In late afternoon we stop at the Pak Ou Caves which our guide tells us were first discovered back in the 9th century. “The first use of the caves for religious purposes was at the time when the local population worshipped Phi, or the spirits of nature. It is said that the caves are associated with a river spirit. By the 16th century Buddhism had been adopted by the royal families of Lao and the caves received patronage from that time until 1975. Many of the carvings in the cave date from between the 18th and 20th centuries”.
There are said to be more than 4000 sculptures of Buddha in the caves; 2500 of these in lower one. Some of them are carved of wood or animal horn, some are made of bronze or ceramic, some are molded out of tree resin.
As we approach the docking area below the caves, you can see how high up they are (***)
Climbing up the stairs to the mouth of the lower cave
Here comes Scott, Violet is resting before making it up the last stretch, and that is our boat below, tied to the dock.
Inside the cave, their are Buddha statues of every shape and size.
The caves were “re-discovered in the 16th century, supposedly by King Setthathirath, and have been used ever since to pray to Buddha. There are thousands of Buddha statues everywhere you look. For years, the caves were inhabited by monks.
Here is a sampling of them. "There are three common positions for the Buddhas in this cave: “Calling for rain” with the figure standing and the arms pointing downwards; “Calling the Earth to Witness” with the figure seated and one hand extended downwards, and “Meditation” where the hands are crossed in front of the seated figure. "
On the wall outside the opening of the cave are the marks showing how high the water rose in 1966 and again in 2008. That is really high up this mountain.
See the rock jutting down over the staircase? The white markings on the lower portion are the high water marks. Now go back up the the photo I marked with (***). That is how high up the water came.
As you can see, the lower cave is very high up from the level of the river, yet just at the lower cave’s entrance there is a water mark showing how high the river rose in 1966 and again in 2008. As I look out from the mouth of the cave I try to imagine the devastation this flood must have caused in all the neighbouring valleys. Most of the houses we have seen along the river are made of wood and would have been just washed away.
There are actually two caves at this site: the lower one Tham Ting (Flower) that I've just shown you, and the upper one Tham Phum (Upper) which is around the other side of the mountain. The white staircase that moves off to the left on the photo leads to the upper cave.
I opt to go up with the rest of the group to visit the upper cave, Tam Ting. There is a concrete staircase leading up and around the mountain to reach it. We need flashlights to enter the cave as it is not lighted. Contrary to the lower cave, I could see how the upper one could have been used by monks living here. I tried to take photos, but even with the flash it did not come out very well.
The view from the other side of the path leading to the upper cave
A very bright green grasshopper our guide showed us as we climbed up to the upper level
And a "stick" insect as well. I would have just thought that was a twig off a tree !
We enter the upper cave and I'm glad I brought my small purse light (merci Hélène). It is pitch black in there.
On our way out I try to take a picture of the interior of the upper cave.
I tried to use my older camera since it was really much better at taking photos in the dark, but it will not open (I just hear the grinding of the motor trying to get the lens to open.) I think it has finally given up ! It has been a great little camera and I’m going to miss having it. Purchased in Seattle when I visited Renée & John, a few years before I retired. 905 of photos taken with that Sony were good; only about 80% are good with the new one ! Very disappointing.
“The first known drawing of Tam Ting is in a report by Francis Garnier, which describes the voyage of exploration of the Mekong River that took place from 1865 to 1867.” The cave extends for some 54 metres and is quite dark at the rear. A figure of a swan is at the upper end of the water trough while a dragon is at the lower end. Sunflowers and Lao art motifs decorate the trough. Further into the cave are groups of sculptures some more than 1 ½ meters tall, while others are no larger than 10 cm.”
We make our way back down the mountain and back on to the boat. Only 28 more km down the Mekong before our cruise ends.
That water mark on the rock is probably the normal high water mark
Now look at how high it got in 1966 and 2008, about twice as high as the regular line
We pass a boat yard, where they are building a new long boat. Amazing. Look at how tiny the workers are up there.
As we appraoch Luang Prabang, we start seeing some very impressive houses
Arriving in Luang Prabang. Oh no ! Not another hill, and it is a long one !
My last look at the mighty Mekong, as we leave our long boat.
We arrived in Luang Prabang at around 4 pm and were met at the top of the hill by a mini van that would take us to our Guest House for the next 3 days. We had time to settle into the Thong Bay Guest House, shower and get into some fresh clothing. We are actually in small cottages and will be served breakfast in our cottages tomorrow morning. Lindsey has opted to go for the 3 hour trek tomorrow morning with John, Mike, Karsten and our local guide and they will be leaving early, so Melissa and I are sharing a cottage.
It is quite nice and has beautiful mosquito nets.
This is the shower enclosure in the washroom.
The view of the gardens from our verandah.
After dropping off my laundry to be cleaned, we all take off for the night markets and for a light meal in town. I purchase some cotton pants and some earrings and admiringly eye all the sarongs. The materials they use are so beautifully woven. Must come back to take some pictures.
Scott stears us to a very narrow side street, full of food vendors. It is mostly buffet style, so there is lots to choose from.
Lots of vegetables and cold dishes. Good because there doesn't seem to be any refrigeration here.
And how long has the meat been sitting out on these tables?
We end up eating from street vendors and although everyone else buys chicken and fish which has been roasted on a stick, I opt for a vegetarian meal tonight.
We walk past a nice French bakery afterwards where I buy the most delicious brownie I’ve eaten in MONTHS! I think I've died and gone to heaven. Supposedly the baguettes we will be served for breakfast tomorrow morning will come from here as well.
We walked along a few streets of Luang Prabang for awhile, and although many in the group were willing to walk back to our Guest House (at least a ½ hour walk away in the dark and the last part on unpaved uneven roads) I opt for a tuk-tuk and Melissa comes with me.
We are back in our cottage in no time and settle down for the rest of the evening.
No comments:
Post a Comment