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.