Fall Break in Bangkok & Luang Prabang

Greetings strangers,
It has been quite some time since you've last heard from me via this blog.  My best intentions to do a write-up about the wonderful summer that Marianella and I enjoyed when home in Peru & Minnesota did not materialize once we returned to the hustle and bustle of working life in Dhaka.  A rapid start to the school year brought our fall break upon us before we could figuratively blink, which was alright by us-as you know by now, we are always happy to get out and explore more of the world that surrounds us.

It has been about four weeks since we wrapped up our vacation-keeping in time with the rapidly moving days, most of my time spent writing on the computer since our return to Dhaka has been involved with writing letters of recommendation to colleges.  It's a bit of vacation to write about vacation.

Our most recent adventure had us splitting our time between Thailand and Laos pretty evenly-we spent roughly three full days and nights in these vastly different destinations and enjoyed both in their distinct ways.

Bangkok

Two hours by airplane from Dhaka, we entered a world apart.  We had previously visited Bangkok last winter for a quick weekend away and reveled in the modernity and delicious street food, spurring us to return for the start of our fall break.  On this trip, we found ourselves more familiarized with the metropolis and chose to step beyond the center of the city by venturing out to a few of the popular tourist sites in and around Bangkok.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Bangkok-sizzling pork on a stick:

With Buddhism practiced by well over 90% of the Thai population, Wats (Buddhist temples) abound throughout the country.  We limited ourselves to visiting just one in Bangkok, Wat Pho, which lays claim to the incredibly impressive and big Reclining Buddha.  As religious iconography goes, it's about as stunning as you will find with its massive size and glittering gold surface.
Head Shot of the Reclining Buddha:






This little Buddha was hanging out in the same Wat:





We normally try to avoid setting the alarm while on vacation, but the following day we were awakened at 5:30 a.m. so we could visit the floating markets located about an hour and a half away from Bangkok.  Our sleepy ride through the countryside was rewarded when we began motoring through the canals of the village and arrived amidst the vibrant market that is nowadays fueled by the tourist trade.  We certainly enjoyed our trip through the canals, stopping here and there to view the wares and to contribute to the economy a bit also.  After our boat trip, our tour guide indicated that we would be stopping by a wood carving site on our way back to Bangkok, and neither Marianella nor I were excited about the prospect; as so often happens on tour excursions, it felt like a tacked-on addition of the tour designed to squeeze a bit more money out of the participants.  And while that may be the intent, we were pleasantly surprised by the last stop of our tour.  As the pictures will show, the intricate work done by the woodworkers is stunning (as were the prices on the pieces).
Traffic jam at the floating village:

Floating around the village is much better with a cold beer:

Some friends we made on the journey:

The aforementioned woodcraft:



On our last morning in Bangkok, we decided to check out the Jim Thompson House, which is a beautifully constructed home that cannot hold a candle to the intriguing back story of its former owner.  Jim Thompson was an American citizen who served in the military and upon completion of his military service moved to Bangkok, where he brought the silk industry from Thailand to the world, first in the movie The King And I, and then to the masses.  Thompson became quite wealthy allowing him to construct his estate in Bangkok.  In the midst of establishing his business, he was also reportedly a member of the OSS, the precursor to the CIA, working as a spy for the U.S. in Asia.   In 1967 he was visiting Malaysia when he went out for an afternoon walk and disappeared, never to be seen again.  As we walked through the guided tour of the property, the mysterious departure of its proprietor lingered with each step.  Unfortunately, we had squeezed our visit into a tight window which caused us to hurry back to the hotel before fully contemplating the fate of Mr. Thompson.  For the next trip to Bangkok, I imagine.
Jim Thompson House:


Luang Prabang

Marianella and I had heard from several co-workers about the charms of Luang Prabang, but as we departed Bangkok, there still existed a sense of mystery about this small city/large town that juts out onto a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers.  As we broke through the cloud bank over northern Laos and descended towards L.P., we were treated to one of the most vivid approaches we have experienced with verdant, tree-covered hills and cliffs jutting into the sky.  After landing, we walked across the tarmac as the reddish-orange sun set on the horizon.  The charms were already apparent and we hadn't even made it through customs.

That night we headed into town on the hotel shuttle which deposited us at the entrance to the night market, which takes up residence every night on the main street of L.P, with vendors stretching for blocks selling a wide variety of items.  With rumbling stomachs, we noticed a narrow alley off of the main street which appeared to host several food vendors.  Walking down the narrow pathway, squeezing past other patrons, our stomachs began to pound with the savory scents and towering visions of food before us.  We settled on the establishment with the longest line, which turned out to be a vegetarian buffet where you paid $2 for everything you could fit in an over-sized soup bowl.  With approximately 25-30 various options laid in front of us, it wasn't difficult to fill our bowls and when we added a large bottle of beer for another two dollars, our dinner was complete-and delicious.  We stepped back into the night market with full bellies and began our stroll through the most polite group of vendors we've ever encountered in a market.
Dinner on our first night:


Without even trying, we found ourselves completing the trifecta of visiting the countries of the former French Indochina with this trip to Laos (along with our prior trips to Cambodia and Vietnam).  As with those other two countries, the French-influenced architecture and food (specifically, the crepes, crossaints, and baguettes) that remain in Laos provides an interesting contrast beside the natives who inhabit the town.  As with Thailand, Buddhism is the predominant religion of Laos and L.P. has a Wat seemingly on every block.  Marianella and I just happened to be visiting during Probarona Purnima, which is a holiday marking the end of three months of solitude for the Buddhist monks.  There were two events which we were able to witness due to this holiday that made the trip just a bit more special.  One of the most revered aspects of Luang Prabang is the morning ceremony where Buddhist monks arise early in the morning and collect alms (food or money) from the townspeople.  This occurs every day, but on this particular morning, monks from villages far and wide came to L.P. and the townspeople turned out en masse.  It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies we have ever seen and it began before sunrise and had ended by 6:30 a.m.










A charming, camera-happy little almsgiver:

On our last evening in L.P., as we were strolling along a side street we came upon the entrance to a Wat where we saw the preparations of hundreds of paper lanterns occurring.  Marianella found out from one of the monks that after they finished their  meditation that evening, a ceremony would take place where all the candles would be lit and she gained an invitation for us to attend.  We were quite touched by the simple beauty of monks and townspeople and visitors, including ourselves, who were given the task of lighting the wicks of all available candles.  Before long, the entire grounds of the Wat was lit up under the full moon overhead.
Afternoon preparations:

Before the lighting of the candles:





Under the full moon:




Besides these two events, we found ourselves luxuriating in the quiet relaxation that this town of 50,000 provides.  One of our day trips was a boat ride up the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves, which over the years has accumulated hundreds, if not thousands, of Buddhist statues.  While the caves were impressive, slowly chugging up the river was very enjoyable.

A few of the many Buddha statues:

On our climb up to the caves:

Sunset on the Mekong:

In and around Luang Prabang:







Throwing caution (and good sense) to the wind, Marianella taking a selfie of us on an early morning bike ride:


On our final day in L.P, we headed to Kuang Si Falls, an absolutely stunning set of waterfalls a short drive out of town.  For whatever reason, the crowds don't start arriving until the afternoon at these waterfalls which was ideal for us, as we left in the mid-morning and were able to enjoy relatively peaceful ascent through the waterfalls, which seemed to get more picturesque with each step before we reached the final stage where we enjoyed a refreshing shower of spray from the powerful waterfall churning in front of us.  Departing past the throng of afternoon arriving crowds, we lingered at the Bear Rescue Centre which is located at the entrance to the Falls, where we were entertained by the lunchtime feeding of these Asiatic Black Bears, most of whom were rescued as cubs from illegal poaching and trading.  There are 23 bears at this centre and each was providing their own theatre for us-a couple were growling over food and territory, several were ingeniously trying to reach hidden food, and one particular bear (seen below) became a favorite when it plopped down for the afternoon nap following lunch.





Feeding Time:



Bathing Time:

Growling Time:

Nap Time:

As we walked towards the airplane on the tarmac, departing in the early evening three days after having arrived, we lamented that we could not spend three or six or ten more days in this charming town.  It wasn't because we weren't able to do everything we wanted or the guidebooks said we should; instead, it was that those activities were so enjoyable and so worth spending a few more days reveling in the languid pace.

While Marianella and I have separate trips occurring for conferences in November, our next time on our airplane together is six weeks away and brings us back to Minnesota to celebrate Christmas.  We can't hardly wait.  We send our good tidings out to everyone reading the blog and for those back in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and thereabouts, I hope you are experiencing a glorious autumn and that you can stave off winter for awhile yet.  Until next time. . .