Luang Prabang Day 3; 29 January 2006



I had a late start. Moving to a very clean guest room which was very quiet made me sleep very soundly that I could hear myself snore. I missed the monk offering parade this morning. But then I had the crazy idea that today being the start of the new Lunar Year, I should try to scale Wat Phou Si. This is a small temples at the top of the highest hill overlooking Luang Prabang. So I took each step as slowly as I can and when I get tired, I would stop and take photos of the winding stairs and the frangipani trees. This way I can catch my breath. So little by little, I was able to make my way up to the highest point of the hill. As I was getting higher, the path was becoming narrower and narrower. But there are many aged frangipani trees lining the way so I felt very safe going up.





When I reached to top, I felt a huge sense of achievement. This is because lately, I feel more like an old man. I can remember the time that I could do this in a breeze. At the top, several Laotians came to make their offerings. I am wondering if they celebrate the Lunar New Year, because they do have a Lao New Year which is celebrated at the same time as Songkran. I also noticed that when they left, they would ring the bell 3 times. So after they left the shrine, I took my turn in ringing the bell 3 times. I also found out that there was another way down from the person handling the entrance tickets. However that takes another 100 steps. So I decided to go down the way I went up. Besides, I was in a hurry to go back to the guest house because I needed to meet up with Bong so we can go to Kwang Xi waterfalls.

I was late in meeting Bong. I got back at the guest house at 9:30 am. When I passed by his house, I saw him talking to neighbors. He was quite relieved to see me. I told him that I need to go back to the guest house first because I need to take a shower. Besides, I still did not find the time to have breakfast. So when I met him, he took me to the same place we had lunch yesterday. I just ordered a quick fried rice so we can be on our way. I asked Bong if it might be a good idea to order food to take with us. He said that there are eating places in the area we are going to. So off we went.


The trip was fine enough. We saw a lot of tourists on bikes. Bong thought that they are on their way to Kwang Xi waterfalls as well. But then the suffering started when we hit the dirt road when my head and my back started to get jarred. My teeth was chattering from the jarring and I thought I was having a headache at the same time. It was good we took several stops so I can take some pictures because this provided me with some relief. On one of the stops, we met 3 girls, probably friends who are were playing on the road. They started talking to us. They seem to understand my Thai. I asked them if I can photograph them and the more aggressive one agreed for the three of them. I told them to smile and the leader broke into laughter when I clicked the shutter. We then said goodbye to them. Each of them said they were glad to meet me and asked me not to forget them. Unfortunately, I did not ask for their names. But I am sure I will not forget them because of their sweetness and innocence. I will always remember them as my 3 little friends.

On another stop we met farang who was walking with his bike. He was quite sweaty by this time. He told me that he had been biking for 30 minutes and was just going where the bike will take him. He asked how far away the waterfalls is and Bong said another 30 kilometers. In a bike, he will probably get there by the afternoon.

We got to Kwang Xi waterfalls by past noon. I was not yet hungry so we started looking at the waterfalls and see what pictures I can take. The first thing that caught my eye were the two monks sitting in the balcony overlooking the waterfalls. The one that I noticed was the monk with the tattoo on his arms. I asked loaded my hasselblad and started putting the tripod base which has become very difficult to do. It seems that my hasselblad was a bit devirginized and the tripod base is not big enough to fit the hasselblad screw hole. When I was ready I asked the tattooed monk if I can take his photo. They agreed but they seem to want to take a photo together and the monk I approached covered his tattoos with his saffron cloth when I posed them for their photograph.


The older monk explained to me that his friend was a tour guide and he fell ill. So he is accompanying a Swiss man on his visit to Kwang Xi falls. He also told me that he had been a monk since 1995. What a coincidence. That was the year I started working in the current company I am affiliated in. He mentioned to me that he came from a town in the northern part of Laos where only 70 families live. He is the only member of their family that managed to obtain higher education. I noticed that the Swiss was waiting to leave, so I excused myself from the monk. But I got their e-mail address promising them to send them their pictures if these come out well.

Bong and I had lunch at one of the eateries. The food was not great. In fact later, Bong and I agreed that we should have ordered food at the restaurant in Luang Prabang to bring toKwang Xi.

After lunch, I took some photos of the falls with a couple of them with me and Bong together. I let Bong stand at a spot so I can focus the camera on him and I can use the self timer and run beside him before the camera takes the picture. I was finished soon enough. So I was ready to go back to town.









Bong had other ideas. He asked me if I want to go to the top of the waterfall. I told him that I will try. At first the way was made of steps carved out of the side of the hill. Then they becamed steeper and higher. Finally when we got to the mid point, we found a very long wooden stair which was a little broken at the last step.
It did not help that the way it connects to was so narrow with a very deep drop. So I was literally crawling when I got to this point, till it got better. There were a few local kid running up behind me. There were even a couple of tourists who passed us by. I was taking my time because I want to reach the top.

When we got to the top, the sun was shining intensely, that there was dappled light on the ground. We did the roundabout way to get to the top of the fall. There were a couple of puddles that we had to go through. At last we found the way to the top f the fall. There was nothing special about the place itself. But then it was the second hill I climbed today so I took another photograph of myself in the water before it falls.

We descended the same way we came up. There was one lagoon where the water was quite green. Bong told me that Laotians are afraid of this type of water because people who fall into this water are never seen again. After taking my pictures, we went down the hill. By the time we got to the parking area it was already 5:30pm. I told Bong I will not stop to take another photograph. I broke my promise twice. But then midway, he stopped at a hmong village. At first I started taking pictures of the children, pretty soon everyone was asking me to buy their friendship bracelet. In a panic I backed out. Before I went, I gave the two girls who posed for pictures 1000 kip. What a difference from the girls we met that morning.

We got back to the guest house an hour later. Business seemed to be good for them because they told me that all their rooms had been taken.