From the long list of things to see in town, we picked two for a nice introduction yesterday. Luang Prabang has more than 20 wats – that’s a lot of enlightenment. The one we visited, Wat Xieng Thong, is supposedly the fairest of them all. Everything was either smoothly gilded, delicately painted, or intricately carved. We then climbed 300 steps up Phu Si hill to reach That Chomsi, and catch city views at sunset. The mountains that encircle Luang Prabang sank into the distance as the Mekong took center stage, glistening with the day’s last rays.

We woke up at 5 o’clock once again today. This time to watch the monks collect alms. We bought some sticky rice to give, and then sat until sunrise. One moment, the streets were empty and it felt like a ghost town. Then all of a sudden, hundreds of people set up their mats and offering stations along the sidewalk: baskets of sticky rice, jars of sweets, candles, and flowers. Maha explained that many of the people were Thai, eager to participate in such a grand Buddhist service. As they took their seats and added final touches to their displays, the line of 300 monks approached. Single file. Orange robes. Bald heads. Barefoot. Jars slung over their shoulders. They slowly walked from one person to the next, pausing to lean the jar towards the giver’s hand. Poor children and homeless men waited at the end of the line with plastic bags to receive excess food. Thirty minutes later, the street was clear once again.

After a quick nap, we took a jumbo (big tuktuk) to the Pak Ou cave. The jumbo dropped us off, and then we had to take a small boat across the Mekong to get to the limestone cliff. There are hundreds of Buddhas inside, brought by worshippers since way back. All shapes and sizes fill the cave, many in the shadows of the corners. It was like a Buddha toy shop. Dum contributed a few figures for good luck.

We then took the jumbo back through Luang Prabang towards the Tat Kuang Si waterfalls, a hotspot in the opposite direction. I’ve seen a fair share of caves and waterfalls, but today’s were surprisingly awesome. There was one massive waterfall that thundered from way up high and converged into pools below. There were also smaller ones, more contained in turquoise lagoons. I jumped from the trees and swung from the vines, despite the freezing water. Dum and Maha were sufficiently entertained with taking photographs.

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