I Love Luang Prabang

It took 12 hours to go from the border with China to Luang Prabang along the roughest road I have ever experienced. We were in a van. I hit my head several times because of the bumps. There were parts of the road where we would sway back and forth in the van. It was painful, and I took motion sickness pills to help quiet the queasy stomach. We arrived at night. I hadn't booked a place to stay but found a guesthouse. It was all worth it to spend over a week in this beautiful city.

The days were simple; I would wake up at 6 am to see the townspeople offering alms or prayers to the monks in training. It inspired me to teach, to help, and to learn more about the culture here. It was explained how education in the country is free, but there is no public transportation and getting to school is a hassle. The temples in the city provide 'free' housing as long as the novices study to become monks after their schooling. While the housing is provided, the food isn't. Most of the students rely on giving alms in the morning, charitable donations from people on the street, and the annual New Year's celebration. They also accept time and donations from people passing through to help out where they can.

The novices would awake at 3:30 in the morning to clean up around the temple. It would begin with prayers, then be followed by preparing to walk the streets together to receive the prayers of those in the town. When they returned, they would go to the local schools in the morning, then return in the afternoon. They are not to eat past noon as it is part of their vows. I would teach in the evenings.

The town has many coffee shops, restaurants, shops, guesthouses, and places for visitors to stay. It would be most crowded on weekends, with boats coming in along the Mekong River. The town would fill up, with the night market and bars busy. For me, I would stick to the guest house and quieter areas. The best time was between weekends, when the crowds would die down, and the town would feel like a town rather than a destination.

The days were great for exploring, but for me, the nights were better. After dinner, when the novices returned to the temple, I would cross the street from my guesthouse to teach. English is taught in the schools but not spoken - they didn't have teachers who could speak fluently. The kids were bored. I was looking for purpose and thought helping was a good use of time. It would continue during my whole time in the town.

After 12 days, I boarded the minivan and started the very long ride back to the Chinese Border and back to Kunming before going back to Hong Kong. I loved my time; I loved the experience and will always want to come back but fear how it will change.