Day 25: Leaving Luang Prabang
Trip Start
Dec 26, 2012
1
28
34
Trip End
Jan 29, 2013
After our extended stay in Luang prabang it was finally time to leave. We got up at 6 am to see the monks give alms downtown, which we had really wanted to do but had always been too lazy to actually get up for. We headed to the local market first to buy sticky rice ( it is considered sacred and is an offering given at temples as well as during alms). Unfortunately, we couldn't find any so we decided just to watch from across the street.
Locals lay out grass mats all along the sidewalks of the street where they have sticky rice and other food offerings. There are also people who sit off the mats on the sidewalks with empty boxes. Some are elderly some couldn't be more then four years old. The monks walk along the street in a long line with large metal bowls. The people with offerings (aka the people who have enough wealth to give to the monks) place clumps of rice or fruits, ect into their bowls. The people who are not able to give offerings (the poor and people in need) sit in a bow and the monks walk by dropping extra food they have into their empty baskets. It was really touching to see. Our friend Ben who we met on the gibbon experience is part Thai and lived at a temple practicing Buddhism and told us a bit about it. Apparently the needy are as highly respected and appreciated as the people giving offerings as they allow the more fortunate to be able to give.
After alms we walked back through the morning market and grabbed a tuk tuk to the airport where we boarded our flight to Paske and then to Siem Reap.
Locals lay out grass mats all along the sidewalks of the street where they have sticky rice and other food offerings. There are also people who sit off the mats on the sidewalks with empty boxes. Some are elderly some couldn't be more then four years old. The monks walk along the street in a long line with large metal bowls. The people with offerings (aka the people who have enough wealth to give to the monks) place clumps of rice or fruits, ect into their bowls. The people who are not able to give offerings (the poor and people in need) sit in a bow and the monks walk by dropping extra food they have into their empty baskets. It was really touching to see. Our friend Ben who we met on the gibbon experience is part Thai and lived at a temple practicing Buddhism and told us a bit about it. Apparently the needy are as highly respected and appreciated as the people giving offerings as they allow the more fortunate to be able to give.
After alms we walked back through the morning market and grabbed a tuk tuk to the airport where we boarded our flight to Paske and then to Siem Reap.
