Laos – on a slow boat ride along the Mekong River; Village of Pak Beng & the Pak Ou Cave

After crossing the border into Laos, we hopped two vans for a quick ride to Huay Xai where we boarded our slow boat for our leisurely 6-hour ride along the Mekong River to spend the night in Pak Beng. We also picked up an additional guide, Kao. The Laos government, a communist country, requires a Laos guide, even though Katie, our Intrepid Travel guide continued to stay with us. The two day boat ride, with a night’s stay in the village of Pak Beng, ends in Luang Prabang.

And, the boat, which is long and narrow, is basic in nature with a toilet, covered roof, open sides to take in the fresh air and seamlessly floats on the water’s surface. It’s commanded by a boat driver who sits up front. But the boat, with its retro automobile-looking seats were no-frills but decently comfortable enough and spacious for our group of 16. 

There are seats in the front of the boat and a small open area in the back where you can have a nap on the mat, play cards, read or have lunch. Dock at the small town of Pak Beng (after about 6 hours) to spend the night.

The word Mekong translates as “Mother of Rivers,” in the Lao language because of its tremendous source of food, income and transportation. The Mekong River is the world’s 12th longest river, the 7th longest in Asia and runs through six different countries. But I only know it as a relaxing way to travel, especially during gorgeous weather.

Perched on the banks of the Mekong River, Pak Beng is just a small, non-touristy village and a nice stopover for an overnight stay after a day’s long scenic slow boat ride down the Mekong River with Luang Prabang as our ultimate destination. I think what I liked the most about this no frills village, is that it was just that, a village of locals and descent lodgings at the Phetsokxai Hotel.

Laos, the 6th country on my #20countries2020 journey with #intrepidtravel.

It was our second day, from Pak Beng to Luang Prabang, on the same long slow boat along the Mekong River in Laos. The day began as a cool, calm and beautiful morning along the river and ended in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang.

I spent time on the 8-hour cruise listening to Andrea Bocelli, John Legend, Barbra Streisand, Christopher John, Alanis Morissette, Alicia Keys and Joss Stone as we glided down the Mekong River toward Luang Prabang in Laos. This slow boat journey just lends itself to these wonderful voices. I know me, I would never willingly agree to spend eight hours cruising down the Mekong River but I am grateful for the imposed opportunity to enjoy the peacefulness and the beauty of it all.

There’s just a simple grace in gliding so close, so quietly and so effortlessly along the water.

This tour has a wonderful mix of single, married and being the only person of color in a tour group is not an unusual occurrence for me. Interestingly enough, all the single travelers are women. I actually find that to be the case on a number of my tours. At least on this trip, I’m not the oldest person, but I’m pretty sure I’m the next oldest person. And, you know what, age doesn’t matter. Being curious, participating, laughing, being kind and caring, that matters way more than age, gender or race.

About two hours before landing in Luang Prabang, we stopped at the Pak Ou Caves, a group of two caves set in a dramatic limestone cliff at the point where the Mekong joins the Nam Ou River. The lower cave is called Tham Ting and the upper cave is called Tham Theung. Both serve as shrines to the river spirit and Lord Buddha and are packed with some 4,000 Buddha icons.

According to a document on the cave walls, it was first used for religious purposes 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. It is believed that the Lao people first entered the river valley in the middle of the 8th Century after moving southward from south China. It was not until considerably later that Buddhism first spread into the area from the west.

By the 16th Century, Buddhism had been adopted by the royal families of Laos and the caves received patronage from that time until 1975. Every year the King and the people of Luang Prabang made a pilgrimage to the caves as part of the New Year religious observances. And artisans were commissioned by the royal family to prepare sculptures.

 

Luang Prabang – Lively night market; Morning market; Temples, Kuang Si Falls Waterfall; Living Crafts Center & Monks collecting alms at dawn

Luang Prabang is well known for its numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. Every morning, hundreds of  monks from the various monasteries walk through the streets collecting alms.

This atmospheric World Heritage-listed city is a favorite of many travelers. Nestled in the hills of northern Laos on the confluence of the Mekong and Khan rivers, the city is claimed to be ‘the best preserved city in South East Asia’ by UNESCO. The city and its people retain a refined, yet relaxed, air and it’s a wonderful place to wander the streets into boutiques, cafes and small shops.

Also, markets, temples, waterfalls, silk weaving, eating like a vegetarian and a traditional alms giving ceremony are the many highlights we explored along the way along with delicious Thai food and some needed rest during the three nights stay in Luang Prabang, Laos, on my #20countries2020 journey with #intrepidtravel.

Next stop, after seven hours of driving along bumpy, dusty roads is Van Vieng, Laos. Until then, here’s a doorway into Luang Prabang.

Alms Giving Ceremony & Village Life from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng

Our group began the day at 5:30 a.m. by attending the daily and longstanding tradition of the Alms Giving Ceremony before sunrise in Luang Prabang.  A number of Buddhist monks dressed in their saffron-colored robes, bare feet and lidded baskets depart their temples to gather their daily meal from the generous and devout Buddhists that line up along the streets to greet them.

The ceremony, or Tak Bat, is a ritual conducted in silence and although it is a sacred ceremony for the locals and the monks, who are said to depend on these offerings of homemade sticky rice for their daily sustenance, the ritual has become quite the tourist attraction and spectacle. But a beautiful spectacle none the less.

The tradition of the alms-giving has also brought in the commercial aspect for the locals to make money providing the tourists, like me, with prepared sticky rice to give to the monks for a cost…of course. To some extent, most things have a price. Although I love the act of giving, out of love, out of respect, out of belief, I felt slightly uncomfortable doing something that devout Buddhists do as a part of their beliefs, when I’m not a devout Buddhist.

Long van or bus driving days can be can be difficult but also eye-opening. The long 7-hour van ride along the bumpy, winding Route 13 highway from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng was most definitely uncomfortable but also a good way to get a very superficial insight to the village lives of Laotians. I like seeing people go about their everyday lives because mine is so different. Yet when I look beyond the surface of how people live, I see we all find ways to make money, put a roof over our heads, love our families, sell and buy food to eat and so on. There are obvious differences but those basics of basics are always there and very common along this globe that we all call home.

Join me for the alms-giving ceremony and life along the various villages from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng on this stretch of my #20countries2020 journey with #intrepid travel.

Vang Vieng

I wasn’t very taken with Vang Vieng, Laos, when we first arrived in the late afternoon on Monday after a little more than seven hours of driving in a van across a rather bumpy, curvy and dirt swirling highway. The town has a young backpackers partying reputation to it, a vibe I picked up on rather quickly.

But after a good night’s sleep and a relaxing free Tuesday to just kick back and pace myself, I got to appreciate the naturally beautiful surroundings the town is set in.

Next stop is Vientiane, the capital of Laos and the last stop of this portion of my South East Asia Loop #intrepidtravel tour before transferring on to a different group and leader for Vietnam and Cambodia on my #20countries2020 quest. For now here’s a bit of Vang Vieng, Laos.

 

Before saying goodbye to our Lao guide, Kao, we managed to visit Wat Si Saket, the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane and home to almost 10,000 Buddha images. A visit to the French styled Arc de Triomphe of Vientiane at the Patuxay Victory Gate Monument and an emotional visit to COPE, an organisation dedicated to assisting those who have been injured by cluster bomblets. From 1964 to 1974, the United States dropped some 260 cluster bomblets in Laos during the war with Vietnam. About 80 million unexplored bombs were left after the bombing ended.