Luang Prabang
Trip Start
Feb 17, 2007
1
23
57
Trip End
Sep 06, 2008
Luang Prabang,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Saturday, July 28, 2007
There's a saying in Indochina: "Vietnamese make rice grow, Cambodians watch rice grow and Lao listen to rice grow." What I tell my passengers on cross-border trips: "Vietnamese are the friendliest people I've met, Cambodians the most polite and Lao the most kind." It may sound subtle but there is a difference.
One of my favorite activities in Luang Prabang is walking through the night market. I used to like stopping in shops and practicing my Lao. But not anymore. If I leave without buying anything, the vendor feels genuine, heart-felt disappointment. And so do I - because the Lao are not annoyingly persistent. They only offer once and let you go. So I've learned to be more discerning. With my last two groups at the night market, I was the one who went home with the most merchandise. My passengers laughed. They asked if I have an export business on the side.
One of my friends here works at the day market. He invited me out one night for "music." My best guess was going to his house for karaoke. Whatever, I'm not going to turn down an invitation by a local. So I accepted. We hopped his motorcycle and drove a few kilometers outside of town...to a disco. Inside were several lounge booths. Everybody came and danced in groups, not couples. Half the music was traditional Lao, half modern. Dancing was quite easy. Think of a cha-cha with a slow tempo. And everybody moves counter clockwise. They have some line dances too. It was a lot of fun. I took a group there. Even the men who claimed to have two left feet got up and tried it.
On my training tour, I happened to stumble across a funeral. It was a large procession through Luang Prabang. I was amazed how many families showed up to pay respects. And how elaborate the ceremony was. I walked for blocks to find the origin. Apparently the deceased was the most prominent Buddhist monk in town. The ceremony ended the following day. With a cremation at the largest space in town - the local football field. The only way they could accommodate everybody.
Laos is 60% Buddhist. It may sound strange for a communist country, but true. You simply cannot understand Lao culture without Buddhism. I wish I could tell you more about their religion. What I can say is that it's one of the main reasons I'm living and working here. The Buddhist people tend to be kind and treat others in a respectful manner. One of the local guides in Luang Prabang was a monk for several years. He is pictured in one of the city's brochures. He plans on sending both his sons to monastery until they're 18. After that they can do whatever they want. But this way they'll learn what he considers the right way of living.
Because religion is so strong in Laos, most of our itinerary here is visiting wats. The architecture in Luang Prabang is distinctly different than that of Vientiane. The wats in Luang Prabang are characterized by low roofs and short columns. By contrast, the wats in Vientiane have roofs high off the ground with tall columns.
Eric
