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Published: February 6th 2010
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We got up at 6:15 to witness the offering for the Monks, we knocked on Fabian and Arthur’s door but they had got word that it takes part at 5:30 and we would have missed it. The local hotel owner also said that we might just catch the end of the offering so with all the disappointment of possibly missing everything we took a risk and made a brisk walk 1km up the road in the misty dark road. We arrived expecting to have just missed the offering but when we checked around it hadn’t even started. So with no one actually knowing what time the event happens we just waited around as you so often do in Lao. Slowly the crowd grew and grew until the road was chocked with tourist vans and tuk tuks. We were at the southern end of Sakkarin road and the monks started from the north travelling some 200m before returning to the temple. The monks turned up in the distance and it was not hard to miss them in bright orange cloaks with a bright yellow sashes. They proceeded down the road in single file and the local Lao people made food and flower
offerings to the monks as they continued down the road. All the food was collected in what looked like a silver bowl and this would be the entire monk’s food for the day. Most monks go to monk school for two to three years and my bet is there were allot off Moms offering food to their children. From what I heard it was only expectable to make offerings if you were with a Lao person but I’m not sure if this is true as the locals were selling us food to give to the monks without any guide or local assisting us. There were also other westerners offering food without any problems but I would check it out before you do offer food anyway. This was truly an event that should not be missed if you come to Luang Prabang and it is worth getting up at first light even just for a quick look.
We went out for our last breakfast as a group, the Norwegian girls Annette and Marte would be heading back to Vang Vieang and the German boys Arthur and Fabien would be heading to Hanoi Vietnam. I think we found out more about them
over breakfast than the last week we have known them. They are all studying at uni and are very intelligent people. With us all splitting up for the rest of the morning we meet backup at 12:30 to say goodbye to the girls and followed closely by saying goodbye to the boys. It was sad to see everyone leave and I knew that we would remain great friends long into the future. We ended spending the rest of the day sorting out our flights to Siam Reap Cambodia and also booked a three day trekking, cycling and kayaking tour which also involves a two night home stay in the village we trek up to. Jacinta was not well and had stomach pains and cramps so I hit the internet for an hour or two until it was time to go to bed.
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