I step out into the street and am immediately pressured by women trying to sell me rice and bananas to give to the monks, not very dignified at all. I brush them off and find a coffee then buy some bananas from a lady who helped me find the coffee at this time of morning. I was then lucky enough to find an American who agreed to take a photo from across the street in an unobtrusive and more respectful manner, away from the throng of tourists.
After that I decided to climb the hill to Wat Si again and catch the sunrise (and get some exercise) I pass two young Japanese girls who are huffing and puffing, I don’t know why but for a forty year old smoker I seem to be in very good health and fitness, I think it has something to do with my “Peter Pan” youthful mind. I sit at the top for an hour and watch the sun eventually break through the cloud.
I have not planned anything for my time in Laos except to work my way from the north to the south, apart from that there are just three main things I want to see and one of them is here somewhere but I can not find it. I head to my usual café for breakfast and consult Google – at last – it is on the other side of the hill so after breakfast I cut my way through town to the other side of the hill, more steps up to two temples and here it is at last I found my first objective.
The footprint of Buddha when he touched down after achieving enlightenment! Don’t roll your eyes at me, it’s more believable than the virgin birth or the resurrection!
But the beauty of Buddism is that we all know it is purely symbolic, unlike those crazy Christians and Muslims who take everything little word of the texts, as the literal word of an omnipotent being.
On my way back down I stop to chat to some young monks, Sai and Darkel, long story short we have a date at nine tomorrow morning for me to help them with some English but more intriguing to me is what they will teach me, I am very excited as I have also wanted to spend some time with monks while I am here, Laos is much more Buddhist than other south East Asian countries.
The other two things I want to see are the thousand islands right down the south of Laos
On my way back through town I stop by a tour operator who has several options for the three day tour and make some enquiries. The tour can end up in Vang Vieng, the next main stop south from here and would be a good way to see the Plain of Jars and travel south at the same time. I am in no hurry to leave this area, especially now I have some monk friends so I suggest next week or the week after and the very helpful tour operator will keep me informed if someone else wants to do the trip which will make it cheaper.
On the way back to my room for a rest I stop at the big main temple in the centre of town and enter the prayer room, it certainly is my day! The room and altar are stunning and I have it all to myself so I spend quite some time alone with “O beautiful one” thanking him and meditating. It is quite warm by now and each time I say thank you in a dharma to him a cool breeze comes in through the door onto my back and cools me down. I know how I sound to you, my friends, living in your western existence but you have to be here to fully understand, Buddha is my teacher, Buddha is all things.
I go back to my room but realise I am hungry so I go to a stall down by the river and have the fresh BBQ chicken with rice then up to the main street for a bagel, it is two pm, now I am ready to sleep.
After a couple of hours sleep I head down to the river for my last sunset with Ingrid. We make dinner plans but she goes for a shower and I wait for her at my hotel and we get separated through some mix up. I head down the street and halfway through my hamburger she turns up. We wander back down to the river for one last beer on the waters edge and say our goodbyes, she is leaving at six and I am meeting the monks at nine.
After a couple of hours sleep I head down to the river for my last sunset with Ingrid. We make dinner plans but she goes for a shower and I wait for her at my hotel and we get separated through some mix up. I head down the street and halfway through my hamburger she turns up. We wander back down to the river for one last beer on the waters edge and say our goodbyes, she is leaving at six and I am meeting the monks at nine.
