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Published: October 20th 2008
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....It's been two weeks since i left Vientiane and moved up north to Luang Prabang, something was telling me that i had to come back to this magical place....I don't know if it is the stunning glittery wats, the orange robed monks walking in the streets holding their black umbrellas, the colorful nightly hmong tribe market selling Lao textiles, colorful mulberry paper lamps, traditional medicine (like cobra snakes in bottles for Reumatism), the shuttered mansions along the old streets or the fact that this old city is between two beautiful rivers "Nam Khan & Mekong" filled with plenty of coconut palm trees and fisherman, this place has an enchanting atmosphere....
This is my second time in Luang Prabang, everything tastes so much better now, i took things a lot easier as i was recovering from a little chapter of sickness, I took my time to feel this place, walked every single street, spent time with local people, & most important i started a new project, i got lots of inspiration from this lovely place, i really wanted to explore my creative side, give myself an opportunity to reconnect with something i left behind many many years ago....I met a great
Laotian friend that has two palm trees where he hangs his paintings by the Mekong River, we became good friends, he helped me to get started with finding some brushes, water paint, and also gave me the address of a place to get my own set of paper: banana, coconut, mulberry, inserted with mango and many other kinds of leaves, beautiful textures & colors.....
Every afternoon we meet at his place by the river, "Touy" teaches me to paint orange-robed monks, temples & elephants....I feel like a kid again playing with all this brushes, colors and papers and letting all the creativity out....at first it felt insecured, my mind, as usual, trying to make me think i wasn't going to be able to do it but then i let my wrist loose, got some courage and everything started flowing like the river.....I am really loving these days!!!!....One day i picked up a couple of on-the-stick fish from the market (Love bargaining even for food ;-) and took it to this little place by the river, "Touy" puts out some sticky rice, the girl next palm tree, which also paints, puts out the soup and some delicious red/green chilli &
garlic dip, then we celebrated!!!......I loved playing with the sticky rice and making little balls with my hands, dipping it into the chilli, & grabbing some fish, Hmmmm.....This is the best rice i have ever eaten!!!!
I was very lucky to be here for the "Bun Awk Phansa" (End of rains retreat) festival, which started on Sunday with the boat racing, everything seemed to be happening at the non-touristy side of the Mekong river so i took a small boat and ventured to the other side where there were tents all along the shore with loud music, people cheering their favorite boat, dancing and singing....food stalls selling mangos, noodles, juices, people playing with dards and color balloons. It was a beautiful sunny day, i was able to see another side of Luang Prabang, sharing with the people of this very poor village and very few tourists :-) ....
Wednesday night was the big night, the parade started at the main street, thousands of people, with colorful candle lit and paper hand made boats with shapes of dragons carried by men, women & kids singing next to each boat, playing drums and even playing with plastic bottles....everything was possible
in the name of celebration....I decided to celebrate with the boat made by kids, so many of them, all shouting, dancing and singing, led by different guys dressed in cartoon customs...Ohhhh I am letting my inner child come out & play again ;-) , we went all the way to "Wat Xieng Thong" (temple) right at the end where both rivers melt into each other, which is the most incredible wat in Luang Prabang....they all laid down the boats and listened to the monks chanting...Then it was time to see them flowing with the river, every boat was taking down a huge set of stairs right in front of the Wat, pulled by motor run boats and let go in the river.....It was so incredible to see all this candle lit boats floating, i could not stop staring at them and feeling so much joy, everyone had a big smile in their faces, happiness and love were all around....What a wonderful night!!!!
I have experienced the rewards of staying in one place for longer time, the lady next doors shouts "You, You Come" and invites me to sit in a tiny 3 piece wooden sit and enjoy some barbecue
small bananas with them....The ladies that cook in the small restaurant in the street spoil me & treat me with some coconut milk sticky rice with slices of plantane wrapped around banana leaves (given to the monks as offerings in early mornings -6am- when monks walk all around the city collecting alms), it's great, they are always laughing & eating, they feel very curious about my bear, even ask me if i shower hehehehe....I guess the incessant need of using deodorant and strictly showering every day went away hehehe....
This is my little piece of heaven, i have enjoyed my time here soooo much, i have discovered another side of it and another side of myself too....This place has inspired me and made me feel so many beautiful things....
Tomorrow, i will be leaving to Vientiane 11hrs by bus, then to Pakse in the South another 11hrs, then to the border 3hrs, my Lao visa expires on Tuesday so i have to pack my stuff & get going...I will be heading to Cambodia, first to Phenom Phen, the capital then to Siemp Reap to see this world wonder - Angkor Wat
and continue working on my postcards ;-)
These are the news for now....Sending you all a big hug & lots of loooooove!!!!!!
Andres
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marisol
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following your tripping soul!!
andresito papiii, casi me muero imaginandote haciendo dibujitos entre ese ambiente tan rajado y especial en el que estás. Que dicha que ya estás bien, la verdad viví como un capítulo final de televisa esa historia. Me imaginaba tu deseperación de no poder comunicar tu dolor mientras se te doblaban las patas....Quiero que sepás que sos el playito más valiente que conozco y la Patrona está muy orgullosa de vos. Te amo, te extraño, te pienso y te leo... Que la aventura y los buenos momentos sigan reinando en tu vida!!