#tak bat

[lburz1]

Lao PDR: Please Don’t Rush

Another busy day in Laos today, by which I mean rather relaxing and stunningly beautiful. Early in the morning we took part in the alms giving (tak bat), but I’ll do a more detailed post on this separately because it was so special.

After a breakfast of pancakes with cinnamon butter and ginger syrup (yes.) and french toast with caramelized banana we were off for a two hour boat trip on the mighty Mekong. I saw some great local life, pictures to follow as always.

We stopped at a few villages, and I learned that one of the reasons people ask if you’re married is because it impacts the way and level of respect with which they would speak to you, just like your age would. I’m not sure whether this is only in Laos or throughout Southeast Asia.

The language is very similar to Thai, if fact my northern Thai friends could be understood just about perfectly by a Lao person, which makes it a touch easier to learn the key phrases in the language - though I can’t imagine how badly I’m butchering the tones. The food is also somewhat similar, it’s a yummy cross between northern Thai and what I know of Khmer cuisine so far. It’s a landlocked country, so it makes sense that it will have been influenced by its neighbors, but the feel and charm is very much its own.

The ride down this part of the Mekong was beautiful, so peaceful compared to the bustling markets and shipping lanes I saw in Vietnam.  We stopped at the Pak Ou caves, which were amazing - there are literally THOUSANDS of Buddha statues in every conceivable nook and cranny, some hundreds of years old, some only a few. Photos and details to follow later.

We ended with lunch and an inspection at a lovely little resort on the Ou river, which branches off from the Mekong. The manager there told me that the country’s name; Lao PDR (people’s democratic republic, which means of course that it’s communist) stands for “please don’t rush” because the attitude and way of life are so relaxed. It’s forced me to take a moment to breathe, and really appreciate where I am. I could stay here a month, it would probably be good for me.

Tonight was low key, we had a swim in the amazing pool here at the Amantaka and walked to the night market - they aren’t stingy with the coconut cream on mango sticky rice here so that was an actual delight… I had planned on staying up and posting about the alms as well but I’m exhausted from our 5:15 am wake up so just a few photos from the caves for now!

[omegaimagery]

 Tak Bat or Alms Giving, which at 6am all the monks of the town monasteries walk the streets in single file and silence to accept offerings of sticky rice or money from the townspeople. Neither are allowed to speak or make any physical contact. The monks also accept candy for the local poor children, which some of them are. Their families enrolled them into the monastery to get educated and take the financial burden off of their families. Around 18yrs old they can decide to stay or enter the world.

Its become a tourism debacle with much disrespect. Flashes all in their faces and women not fully covered. If you make it to Luang Prabang, dont stay more than 2 nights. Check this, the waterfalls and the night market then bounce.

[omegaimagery]

Tak Bat or Alms Giving, which at 6am all the monks of the town monasteries walk the streets in single file and silence to accept offerings of sticky rice or money from the townspeople. Neither are allowed to speak or make any physical contact. The monks also accept candy for the local poor children, which some of them are. Their families enrolled them into the monastery to get educated and take the financial burden off of their families. Around 18yrs old they can decide to stay or enter the world.

Its become a tourism debacle with much disrespect. Flashes all in their faces and women not fully covered. If you make it to Luang Prabang, dont stay more than 2 nights. Check this, the waterfalls and the night market then bounce.

[far-and-back]

It's 5:30 A.M. in Luang Prabang.

I wait outside our resort gates on the street for the night guard as he runs to the kitchen to get our tip khaos – the traditional woven bamboo pots – filled with hot rice. He has promised to show me the proper way to kneel and offer Tak Bat.

The monks of the temples in Luang Prabang only eat donated food and every morning, they accept alms from townspeople and the more enthusiastic visitors.

It is dark and quiet, cold and foggy, and the only lights come from the dim streetlights and the infrequent vehicles passing by.

A couple of vendors ask if I want to buy their rice and I assure them that I have organized my own.

At exactly 5:45, out of the fog, I see the first group of orange clad monks approaching us – purposefully led by a senior monk. But the guard is not back yet, and I panic that we are too late and will miss this first opportunity for Tak Bat.

But just in time, my new friend arrives and I follow his actions. It is fast, finger-burning work, and soon my offerings of rice are completely shapeless. The monks do not complain, but it is clear that I will have to keep up my pace.

When my tip khao is empty, we rush off to the center of town to observe the long lines of monks from the larger temples.

This is my version of "The Monk and the Ferrari".

The faith and dedication of the townspeople in offering Tak Bat almost exceeds that of the young monks.

We spoke to a young man who had spent 13 years as a monk. He left home as a 12 year old and started his lessons in the 227 rules of a Theravada monk's life. He has wonderful memories of his life as a monk, but he talked about how hard it was to get up every single day at the same time and go out into town for Tak Bat. There is no concept of a weekend or a day off. He realized in his early twenties that he was probably not destined to be a monk for life and decided to leave the path.

By 7:00 AM, it is bright daylight and we are hungry for breakfast ourselves, but it is hard to tear away from the mesmerizing lines of monks.

It is a beautiful and humbling experience. 

[waltzingsentiment]

Luang Prabang, Lao People's Democratic Republic.  April, 2012.  Morning Tak Bat where monks form a procession through the city and the people of Luang Prabang honor them with food and thanks.