I love Luang Probang!

Wow, do I ever love Luang Probang!

The scam at the morning alms procession did not deter me. I love it all. This city has so much beauty, seemingly endless Wats (temples) to visit, waterfalls, views, boat rides to take down the Mekong, good food, bicycles, motorbikes- and it is easy to navigate.

When I awoke from my late-morning nap at noon on the first day after waking up at 5:30am for the daily morning alms procession of the monks, I felt refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to explore. I immediately knew with the heat and the bright sunshine of the day that I wanted to ride my newly-rented bicycle to the Kuang Si Waterfalls, 30km away from the city center. Everyone I spoke with thought I was crazy and suggested that I take a tuk-tuk like everyone else, or, a boat down the Mekong, but, after days of bus travel, lack of sleep and disorientation in transitioning from one country to another, I knew that it was time to get some long overdue exercise. Plus, this is my favorite way to explore new places. Hooray for bicycles!

I got on the bike and started riding (and by the way, this is the best bicycle I have rented in the two plus months I have spent in SouthEast Asia- both brakes work, the bell works, the locks work- the pedals are not off center etc. . .) The next 3 hours were pure joy, even in the heat of the blaring sun, and during the last hour, walking my bicycle up the long and steep hill in the pouring rain of the afternoon. I was giddy with the endorphins and adrenaline moving through my system, as well as the gorgeous views of the country villages that I was passing through. I waved to the locals and exchanged calls of 'Sa-bai-dee'! the Laos word for 'Hello', and questioned my sanity at different times as I stood up on the pedals of my 1-speed town bicycle that I was using to climb massive hills in 95 degree weather, as well as the aforementioned pouring rain later in the afternoon.

But, I finally made it at 4pm, and and had myself a private swim in the Kuang Si waterfalls, since everyone else had already gone home due to the rain and massive drop in temperature. I was happy and satisfied, and ate the grilled chicken I had brought with me from town. Swimming in the cold water felt great on my cycling-tired legs. When I left the waterfall a bit later, while snacking on some local pork-skewers, I let myself be talked into taking a Tuk-tuk back to town, as it was already 5pm, and the ride back was likely to be challenging, long, and at least two hours. I am glad that I did this, as I was indeed tired, and I also had the good fortune to meet two American girls from Washington state, who I then gabbed meaningfully with for the rest of the 45-minute ride, and made plans to meet for dinner a while later.

That night we met and went to the night market for some most excellent street-food (where I have gone for dinner all four nights in a row that I have been here) and bumped into my Australian friend from the bus, as well as Andy, an American who I had met for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City five weeks previous, who turned out to be my childhood-dentists' nephew, and grew up in the same hometown as me, but we had not met until Vietnam, or knew of each other's existence. We had not communicated since our brief meeting in Vietnam in 5 weeks, so this coincidental meeting in Luang Probang was quite amazing!

Anyhow, dinner was fun and playful with the random group of us that night, and I went to bed happy again, excited for the next day, when I planned to go to 'Big Brother Mouse' in the morning, a local volunteer organization where English-speakers can participate in English lessons for the locals who show up. It is also possible to purchase books that come in both Laos and English to give to local children and adults. A really cool organization.

Andy and I both went the next morning to teach, and it was such a great experience. I worked with a few different Laos guys for two hours, and really enjoyed the experience of helping them speak English. This is great for a number of reasons, but two main ones are: I am going to start teaching 5th grade in the fall for the first time, so, it is good to know that I like it and am good at it! and also, this was a really special and unique way to relate to the local people, in a way that I have not yet experienced along my travels thus far. Making connections is very important to me, and I felt quite full during and after this experience. It was so cool to help someone with something that was quite challenging to them, that for me is so natural and something that I take for granted. Quite a humbling honor of an experience.

I went from there to the local Red Cross, and donated blood, as is suggested in the Lonely Planet guide next to Big Brother Mouse, as options for Goodwill while traveling. This was also a really cool experience, as I had never given blood before, and now I was vulnerable in the hands of locals, which also changed the nature of our relationship from the usual 'tourist-seller' dynamic that is so prevalent everywhere in Vietnam and Laos in my experience so far. I wound up staying and talking to a few of the guys working there for quite a while, and once again, felt that I had made a special connection.

I met back up with Andy, and double-riding on my bicycle, we went across the Nam Kham River (flows off the Mekong) to a really unique and cool restaurant called Dyen Sabai. The seating is on recliner cushions and pillows in rustic open-sided but porched pavilions that climb the slope across the Nam Kham river. I was ready to relax and eat lots of food after my recent donation of liquid life-force, and enjoyed many local and traditional dishes, listening to the sounds of drums from across the river as I remembered that today was the day of Buddha's birth!

When we crossed back over the river, Andy and I parted ways, and as I rode my bike somewhat aimlessly, I suddenly came upon the long and winding staircase up to Phu Si Mountain, and decided to climb to the top to That Chomsi Stupa, as well as a massive imprint of Buddha's footprint. There are also many golden Buddha statues up here, temples, and amazing views of Luang Probang and surrounding. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I felt an incredible sense of peace, stillness, and wonder as I climbed and explored for the next hour or two.

When I came back down, I went to my guest house, intent on a cup of peppermint tea and stillness to listen to the chanting of the monks to honor the Buddha. I had a sweet half an hour or so in my slowly darkening room, and shortly thereafter made my way to the night market, for the best chicken skewers that I knew were there waiting for me. I shared a table with a number of travelers who came and went at this communal seating setting, and it was a fantastic evening and a great meal, after another full and enriching day in Luang Probang.