Day 7 Luang Probang Monks, Markets and Waterfall

Monks receiving Alms

Day 7 Luang Probang Monks, Markets and Waterfall 7/05/10

Up at 5am this morning to go and see the Monks get alms from the people. Unlike Chiang Mai, all of the Monks make a procession around town receiving alms from some and giving back food to the poor before proceeding back to the temples to pray and eat there breakfast.
The monks can join the order from as young as ten till there 17. They join for various reasons. Where they are bad kids needing guidance or from poor families that can’t afford to educate or feed the kids. They exist solely on handout from the people as the government don’t help them much, they can’t lie or cheat or play up in general.
The older monks join for the solitude and religious reasons or if they have lost their wives etc.
We then headed down to the morning market which was a cacophony of smells and noise as locals, by their produce for the days meals, everything from spices and fruits meats and vegetables, household goods and live fish are on sale.
We then headed back to the hostel and waited for the truck to take us up to the waterfall, about a 40 minute drive, again it was a really hot day.
The falls where awesome! The main fall cascades down from about 150 feet in smaller ledges until it tumbles into the main fall of about 100 feet.
The there are a collection of aqua pools overhung by trees where you can swim and when in the water the fish nibble at the dead skin on your feet which was really weird.
After getting home I flaked out and woke up late so I slept for 12hours through to 5am when I got up and went to the monks again.

Day 6 Luang Probang Town and Temples

Buddhist Temple

Day 6 Luang Probang Town and Temples 6/05/10

Up early this morning and a short walk into the main Town area. On the way a found a little bamboo bridge on the Nam River where a guy was casting for river fish. He would throw the net into the river and jump in after it was so cool and very Asian, I followed him for a while before continuing into town.

There are lots of temples and I spent the next 4 hours wondering around through them taking shots and just soaking up the atmosphere. The town is really quant with a mixture of French and Lao architecture which works well. I also got my first good look at the Mekong which is great. The Mekong is about 5000 km long passing through Tibet, Nepal, China, Lao, Thailand, Cambodia and finally Vietnam, so this won’t be the last time the mighty River and I cross paths.

I headed back to the hostel as it’s about 36’ still and chilled with the others for the afternoon then went up to the Phosi temple and hill to check out the sunset, it was a bit lame due to all of the smoke in the air. They are at the end of the burning season. They burn to prepare the fields for the rice harvest in the wet season which will be with us soon.

An early night tonight after we have a home cooked hotpot meal. Hot pot is a traditional Laotian meal where you put meats , noodle, greens, mushrooms and other stuff into a soup over coals on the table and pick at it slowly with a couple of beers that went on till midnight. Have an early start to see the monks in the morning.

Day 5 To Lao and Luang Probang

Monk crossing a Bridge.

Day 5 to Lao and Luang Probang 5/05/10
So up early again this morning to shoot some monks seeking alms from the locals, they only eat lunch and breakfast and the chant and say prayers as they receive the food. I then went and had my first ever massage and it was great, it’s something I’ll be doing more of on this trip.

Checked out of the Julie guesthouse and headed for the Airport in a Tuk Tuk. The architecture was quite cool, along with the orchids which just grow like weeds.
Lao Airlines was quite good with a modern prop style plane which took us up over the mountains and forest and deposited me 1 hour later in Luang Prabang in Lao. Apparently I heard later that the bus and boat trip from Chiang Mai to Lao is really bad and I’m glad I chose to fly as it takes about 3 days in total.

I was met at the airport by Katie from the LP Backpackers Hostel, which is a really great place. All of the people and staff including the owner Mr. Shampoo are really friendly. In total I will spend 7 nights here as I have decide to pass Vang Vieng, as I have been told that it’s just another party town, which is not what I’m looking for on this trip, also the Mekong is so low that my plans of kayaking down to Vientiane will not be possible, so I will stay in LP and do some extra stuff here, Including waterfall, kayaking caving, cooking, and getting drunk as the beers are about 800ml and 5.4% for only $1.40.

After arriving at the Hostel I just hung around for the rest of the day chilling with a few beers and talking before we all went out to see a movie at a local book store and then home and bed.

Day 4 Chiang Mai Adventure Day

Day 4 Chiang Mai Adventure Day 4/05/10

Today I am up early as I head out with a group of 6 people for an adventure Tour. Firstly we drove out of Chiang Mai for about 45mins up into the local Mountains where we met the elephants and their Mahouts. We pared up and climbed on board the elephants backs for a small 1 hour trek through the bush. To tell the truth it was hard to know who was leading who. I think the elephants where ahead as they stop to fart, scratch, dust, crap and fart again around every new corner whilst the Mahouts talked to their girl friends on their mobile phones.

Then it was fried rice and lyceums for lunch which was pretty good, after which time we took a 1 hour hike up to a little water fall in the bush in about 36” and all the time I’m thinking that this bush looked remarkably like aussie bush and what was I doing dragging my ass up a mountain for 60 mins. It was way tougher then walk club.

So the water was fantastically cool and refreshing and after a nice long swim we headed back down the mountain for some white water rafting.
May is right at the end of the dry season here in Thailand, so the river was a bit devoid of rapids but it was a very relaxing trip and we got to see some beautiful scenery go sliding slowly past. After the rafts we jumped aboard some bamboo rafts and again slowly made our way further downstream.

After our river journey we took a short detour to a local village where the little old ladies selling trinkets where very sweet and probably the biggest swindlers on the planet, but they made for some great shots so I won’t complain.

Chiang Mai's Temples and Monks

Day 3 Bangkok to Chiang Mai 03/05/10

Up early after some beers and watching the football with a cool English dude called Allen, we were the same age so we talked about England and how bad it is now.

Hung around for a while then off to the airport, Bangkok airlines are great they gave us a feed in the lounge and free Wifi.

The flight was great, you could see the landscape changing from farming plots like a patchwork quilt covering the entire land to slowly mountains and streams into forest and mountains.

Chiang Mai is a way bigger city then what I was expecting, but then wasn’t really sure what to expect….
Caught a cab straight to Julies Guesthouse, It’s very “backpacker” lots of young people all coming and going with the owner and staff friendly and helpful, I guess it’s still work to them but the place seems to be a gold mine so why not be friendly.

Most seem a lot younger than me but I’m use to that, the beers are cheap $1 and they have an honesty system…go figure, I wonder what it’s like once everyone has had a few, I guess I’ll see.

As soon as I got my room and dropped my gear I got out with the camera and started shooting, it’s pretty easy to navigate around the old town and the Map they provided was invaluable.

The temples are awesome and numerous every street and back ally you walk down there’s another one, there religious devotion and devotion to the past must run deep.

I’ve also seen a number of monks and strangely they just seem like normal people, there ages range from really old to very young like 10 years old, I defiantly want to find out more about what it takes and means to devote yourself to being a monk????

A Buddha statue inside a local temple, each position or stance represents something different to the Buddhists

Lilly in a pond.

A statue offering at a temple dedicated to Elephants

I found this little guy perched on the end of an elephants tusk from on of the many elephant statues

Elephant Temple.

Another Buddha in repose.

A statue at a Chiang Mai temple with an onlooker.

One of many figurine's lining the temple walls all carved from stone.

Boys can become monks as young as Ten, I found this little fellow playing among the temple Statues.

Monks come out in the morning and chant prayers for the locals in exchange for alms.

Sunrise over the temples.

Monks from a local temple out collecting alms from the towns people for there meals.

Chiang Mai "Diamond of the North"

Yes folks it's one night in Bangkok then, straight to Chiang Mai, Thailands diamond of the North.

Chiang Mai, is alot different to What I expected but here are a few shots from a Typical day in Chiang Mai.

Firstly came a rather strange marrage perposal from the lovely lady above. I was flattered but respectfully declined the offer saying that I thought she would be a bit high maintanace.....

Then she gave me the Evil Eye.......................

She was none pleased with my refusal to marrage so I made quick my escape in a local taxi-pachederm convey that was headed for a secret locaton far into the hills, to visit a hidden waterfall.

The cool and clear waters of this hidden location made for a great respit before tacleing the days journey home, and seeing as the road system here in Thailand is a little on the rough side we decided to take the safest route home down the rapids...believe me it was safer then the roads.

So now where back in Chaing Mai, everything is very cheap with most things going for peanuts....ha...ha Wednesday the 5th I'm off to Laos, and the riverside town of Luang Prabang, so it's farwell to Thailand for now, and hello Lao Ladies, I hope I have better luke this time.

P.s. below is a picture of the ladies sister, I wasd truly tempted

As we sailed into Sydney Harbour

Well it's Day One of the Toasted Tour and I must admit that after almost 6 years of living on the Island (with only 4 days reprieve in Cairns for moderately good behavior) it’s now strange to be out in the free world.

But if auspicious starts are anything to go by then I'm in for a great holiday as Sydney turned on a fantastic night of clear sky's and balmy weather.

So Sunday I'm of to Bangkok via Melbourne with a 15 hour trip which I'm really looking forward to....... and then it's "one night in Bangkok" before heading north to the magical city of Chiang Mai, where it will be time to take some serios photos and drink a couple og Chang beers...... C U then.