Day Five (15/10/2024): Travelling North (Pakse to Luang Prabang)
Our final boat trip across the Mekong was quite sad as we had finally mastered the art of plank walking and balancing on bamboo mats embedded in mud!
Prior to the boat trip we did a walk through the village and again saw the monks collecting alms - food - to ensure they had breakfast and lunch. Apparently they don't have dinner so it's early to bed and early to rise. This time they stopped each time the villagers gave them food and sang a short chant.
Once we disembarked on the other side of the river it was off to Vat Phou which is an ancient sacred site consisting of both Khmer and Hindu buildings built at the foot of a sacred mountain and gradually ascending the mountain over many centuries. It's thought that it commenced in the 5th Century in pre-Angkor Wat times. More recently it became a part of the Champasak Unesco World Heritage site. The Museum had some lovely ancient pieces of sculpture and an explanation of the history.
We really felt the heat and humidity which seemed to be higher than any previous day. There was quite a lot of shade-hopping and trying to look interested in the guide's explanation whilst standing in the sun. Some of us managed to climb around the ruins of the 7th Century ruins, enjoying the honeycombed volcanic laterite rock and carved sandstone used to build them. Fortunately they were at the base of the mountain so we didn't need to do any mountain-climbing, which was completely out of the question. The rest huddled in the shade doing some rock-sitting (which Kim failed as she elegantly slid off one!).
Back in the van and a return to Pakse for lunch before heading for the joys of the Pakse Airport before flying to Luang Prabang. The best feature of the flight (Lao Airlines) was a delicious coconut chiffon cake and tea/coffee: afternoon tea in the air!
Our return to Villa Maly Hotel in central Luang Prabang was much-anticipated as some of us had stayed there before and loved it. I remember celebrating with champagne with the others whilst wallowing in the pool because Julia Gillard has just been elected as Prime Minister!
After settling in we headed for a 'cultural' event with a 'family' which we weren't sure about. We arrived at a beautiful serene garden and house lit by glowing lamps and candles.
It commenced with a Baci ceremony with shaman-led blessings and the tying of strings on our wrists by many cousins from the same family whilst they gave us their blessings.
Then we were given tiny bowls filled with exquisite snacks and most important of all (for some) shot glasses filled with Lao rice whiskey. I took one sip and coughed as it slid down and warmed my stomach. Then we discovered it's 45% proof so no wonder it was a surprise! Some of us felt it was important to consume the whole glass however I was concerned I may not be able to walk if I took more than two sips. It appears that there may be some purchasing of supplies before we go home.
The next highlight was some traditional Lao dancing and music. There was a small troupe of girls and a couple of boys who were very entertaining through a number of dances.
A drink was the next step and the 'mocktails' were great. Hibiscus and butterfly peaflowers meant the colour - and taste - of the drinks was delightful. And the peanuts roasted with garlic were served in baskets: delici
But the highlight of the night was the truly amazing meal cooked by some of the female members of the family. Some of the Lao food we have had has been a bit bland in my opinion.
However these authentic Lao dishes had complex flavours enhanced by a wide array of herbs and spices, and vegetables from their own garden.
The entire event took place in a beautiful elegant environment called the Khuamordin Restaurant run by many members of the same family. We returned to the hotel relaxed, happy and tired.
Your blessed and impressed correspondent
Dianne
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