Laos - Luang Prabang, Part 2

Towering over the old city center of Luang Prabang is a hill known as Phu Si, which is crowned by a gold stupa. On the way up the 329 steps we were somehow persuaded to purchase a pair of small birds in a woven reed cage to be set free at the top, along with our wishes (or some such drivel). Is this really a local tradition or just a tourist scam? We were torn between wanting to free the birds and not wanting to encourage this avian kidnapping scheme. In the heat of the moment the former won out, but I totally regret it now. We saved two birds (assuming they don’t get caught again) but endangered many more by paying what amounts to ransom. I know the vendors are poor people just trying to make a living, but I’d rather they just sell fruit or baskets or something.

Bamboo bridge over the Nam Khan River



Deborah with the imprisoned birds; 329 steps to freedom.



Atop Phu Si



Free at last!



View from Phu Si with Nam Khan River on the left.





Temple cat.
(photo by Deborah)


We see many ladies carrying baskets of sticks about town, presumably for wood fires.


Another means of carriage.



Elegant small temple.


Mosaic tile on a small temple - not uncommon here.



However, this one features a couple of what look like mermaids, which is uncommon.


More mosaics on a colorful wall.
(photo by Deborah)



See, you don't have to sell caged birds. It's just not as exciting.
(photo by Deborah)


There is also a night market here which is HUGE for a town this size.


Purveyor of ice cream.
(photo by Deborah)


Girls in their school uniforms.
(photo by Deborah)





Detailed temple decoration.




Buddhas in the storage area at the back of a temple, in case you run out.
(photo by Deborah)





Your moment of zen: Deborah's video of fish in a pool in front of a hotel.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Caribbean Cruise

Image
Even before embarking on our Panama Canal cruise, Deborah and I looked ahead to its conclusion and expressed our reluctance to hurry back to the dreary winter weather of Olympia.  To remedy this we rather decadently booked another cruise that was to leave from Fort Lauderdale just two days after our Panama Canal cruise was to end. We spent the two days in Fort Lauderdale between cruises doing laundry, visiting friends, and catching up on computer tasks thanks to our Airbnb’s Wi-Fi.  Our second voyage was a 7 night Caribbean cruise with stops in Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; and Key West, Florida; before returning to Fort Lauderdale. Both of our cruises were on Holland America Line (also same as for our Alaska cruise last year), which has a reputation for a somewhat older clientele. The Caribbean cruisers were a bit younger than the Panama Canal ones, but actually seemed in worse shape. Not sure I’ve ever seen that ma...
Read more

Next Stop: Everywhere

Image
It’s been nearly nine years since we started travelling for long periods – up to six months at a time – not just to escape the gloomy winters of Western Washington, but to see what it felt like to really live in, not just visit, another place. Australia was the first, then Fiji, Europe, Mexico, Japan and Hawaii. We did a lot of house sitting and work exchange to moderate the cost and expand the experience.  These trips only deepened our love of travel and whetted our appetites for experiencing new places. But the trip to Hawaii ended with us a purchasing a lot on the Big Island and then returning the following winter to build a house. Designing it ourselves, acting as our own contractor and doing much of the work ourselves, that project stretched to nearly two years. We loved our house and our small community in North Kohala, and made many good friends there. But we always knew our Hawaii stay would not be long term – partly because it is expensive, partly because of the inevita...
Read more

Townsville - Billabong Wildlife Sanctuary

Image
The Billabong Wildlife Sanctuary lies just south of Townsville and is home to an assortment of rescued and captive-born native Australian wildlife including crocodiles, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, cassowaries, and many others. There are also a number of wild birds attracted to the billabong (pond) around which the sanctuary is situated. We spent the whole day there and had a great time. There were many interesting interactive presentations and wildlife feeding times throughout the day. Because the animals here are generally not candidates for reintroduction to the wild, they are allowed to become quite tame and used to human interaction. So if you want to hold a koala or hand feed a kangaroo you can do that. The crocodiles, however, might best be left alone. Koala.  Interesting fact: A mother koala will smear her feces over the face and body of her joey (baby) - not as some sort of sadistic punishment or Joan Crawford impersonation, but so that the offspring will lick itse...
Read more