Heading down to the ferry landing. We boarded the two long boats to the left - not the ferry to the right.
From the temple grounds, we were driven to the ferry crossing where we took a pair of long narrow boats across the Mekong to the villages on the other side. (There is currently no permanent bridge across the Mekong River; a temporary bamboo bridge is constructed each year during the dry season, but it gets washed away during the floods of the rainy season.) Again, despite the crudeness of construction, the roads we walked were fairly well kept and (here's that word again) tidy. So after climbing the dirt road from the ferry landing, we walked along a paved concrete path, dodging the not-so-occasional motor scooter, through the village while Toby and Hung described village life.
Eventually we arrived at our target — a temple on a hill that had some very good views of Luang Prabang arriving about sunset. Weather wise, we were lucky that the rain moved out the day before so we had a view (and the dirt roads weren't terribly muddy).
Heading down to the ferry landing. We boarded the two long boats to the left - not the ferry to the right.
Albert taking in the view.
The dirt road leading up from the riverside into the village.
Banana blossom - it makes great salads!
Wild flower again. I like this snap for the pyramidal shape of the plant.
A duck of a different color.
A side street and houses.
Outdoor cooking. In a tropical climate, keeping the heat out of the house makes a lot of sense.
Pet bird.
Pet bird.
Dinner bird.
This fellow has a tether on his leg.
The road through the village.
I think this is oleander.
The woven basket for holding the sticky rice seems emblematic of local culture and cuisine.
I took this shot of the satellite dish for its modernity, but also for the colors, and the pattern of the roof.
I was impressed with the woodwork of this house.
Rice available at the local market…
…along with eggs and other supplies.
A line of young monks.
A lion (or was it dog?) statue in front of the local temple.
A common sight on tour - a bunch of us listening to our guide while others take photos.
This little statue seemed a bit incongruous.
Street food - chicken feet.
More outdoor cooking.
The view of Luang Prabang from the bottom of the steps to Wat Chomphet.
Climbing the steps to Wat Chomphet.
Peeking in the window of the temple.
Gwen and Terry listening to Toby as a young monk scurries by them.
Jonathan taking a snap of the view.
We used this image for our 2016 Christmas card.
The young monk. The color cast has been removed from this image resulting in a warmer color palette.
The youngster was quite photogenic.
One of the tuk-tuks that took us back to the river landing.
The Mekong River at twilight from the ferry landing.
Crossing the river at twilight - the evening star shines in the sky.
Toby and Hung arranged for us to return from the temple to the ferry landing by tuk-tuk as it was getting dark (and late). So five to a tuk-tuk, we motored back through the village. The vans were waiting at the landing and took us to our hotel, the Villa Maly.
After showering and refreshing ourselves, we met in the restaurant for the Lao baci welcome ceremony presided by about six elderly women and one man who had been a Buddhist priest. The fusion Hindu-Buddhist ceremony welcomed us to Laos and provides good fortune for our visit and beyond. Part of the ceremony involves the elders tying string around each wrist of the guests which you are supposed to wear (or keep close to you) for three days. Once the strings were in place on our wrists, sweets were passed around and the ceremony came to its conclusion.
We then adjourned to the dinner table and made short work of another fabulous meal.
An intricate floating flower arrangement.
Our accommodations.
The facilities.
The pool.
The elders and the altar for the Lao baci ceremony.
These goodies on the altar were shared at the end of the ceremony.
Jonathan's wrists with the first of the tied strings.
One of the elders tying a string.
Alan accepting the altarpiece for the group. Note the number of strings on his wrists.
Luangprabang salad with traditional dressing (left), and deep fried Mekong river weed in chili paste (right).
Grilled Luangprabang pork sausage (left) and Stir-fried mixed vegetables (right).
Sauteed beef with ginger and onion.
Green curry chicken.
Banana in sweet coconut milk.
