Sunday, May 3, 2009

Pi Mai in Laos

Laos. A country shrouded in mystery. Though briefly during the Cold War its name was splashed across the headlines, I doubt most people remember it today. Nestled along the Mekong valley beneath verdant carst peaks, it rests chiefly between Vietnam and Thailand, sharing borders with Burma, China, and Cambodia. A communist country, still pock-marked with unexploded ordinance left from bitter fighting, it would hardly seem like the ideal vacation spot.

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Yet Communism seems to have done nothing to dull the open friendliness of the Lao people. Perhaps, as has been said, Communism was just not designed for the agricultural lifestyle of the average Lao. Whatever the reason, Laos is an amazingly relaxed country, even in the "big city" Luang Prabang.

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The ancient capital city of Laos is today an ideal spot to just unwind. Most of the people still make their living in an agricultural economy, though commercialism is coming in along with the "falang" as word of Laos spreads. Still, there is plenty of traditional culture in Luang Prabang, which is a city of temples--the oldest founded in the 16th century.

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We were there with friends whom Ellen had met online. Peter had been to Luang Prabang several times before, and two years ago made reservations for his own family and friends at the Apsara, a cozy little place on the Nam Kan river-side. He then asked friends to join him--and a few of us did.

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The reservations were deliberately made for Pi Mai, the Lao new year (their version of Songkran).

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As in Thailand, Songkran is a water festival. Water fights erupt everywhere, and going out means getting wet. Not that this is an objectionable thing in the heat of the day. Still, we were rotating through clothes to keep dry.

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Everyone gets involved in the water fights in Laos, which started early--there were already kids hitting passing tuktuks and motorcycles as early as Friday before the official festivities.

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Foreigners, including Westerners ("falang," the Lao term for the Thai word "farang," but used more amongst foreigners themselves than by the Lao), Thai, and others were everywhere. Thai tourists often came as much for the merit making activities as anything else--such as getting up early in the morning to give alms to the monks as they parade through the city.

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In both Thai and Laos, where the people are intimately connected with the rivers, streams, and canals, water holds an especially prominent place. This seems doubly true along the Mekong, where it seems that ancient practices are mingled with Buddhist ritual.

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For instance, instead of building the sand chedis in the temple grounds, along the Mekong the people build sand (or mud) chedis along the river. It is a busy family gathering, and many of the chedis are built directly on the riverbank, with a small channel dug between the chedi and the water. This apparently allows for the spirit of the river, usually envisioned as a naga, to come or go from the chedi.

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There is also a festival of salting the clouds. Handmade rockets are launched from a bamboo platform. They are supposed to help encourage the rain. Here you can see one going off:



Pi Mai lasts for much longer in Luang Prabang than in Thailand, and there are numerous little festivals. One of the local villages, known for their silk, had a small ceremony and festival.

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Local or regional worthies were invited as guests of honor, who were welcomed in style. After a long speech (in which I have no idea what was said), there were various dances performed by men and women, apparently from the local area.



Despite the local atmosphere (it was mostly Lao there), the tourist papparazzi were there in force.

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Besides the local festivals, people also take the time just to go out. We spent some time up at the local waterfalls--a beautiful area.

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They even have an Asian bear rescue center.

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The waterfall itself is beautiful, but the smooth cascades below were even moreso.

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Granted, the hike to the top was probably more than we had bargained on, but the view was incredible.

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Unfortunately, going down wasn't nearly as peaceful! A steep gradiant with little to no real trail. We started leapfrogging down--the person in front helping the people in back, etc.

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After coming back down, we headed towards some of the pools where swimming was allowed. The best had a tree leaning out that one could swing from before splashing into the pool below.



Back in the "big city," there is a carnival atmosphere on the outskirts, complete with dart games and bumper cars. Although perhaps driving around in a vehicle connected to an electric grid in the middle of a thunder storm might not have been the best idea ever.

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Later in the week, there is a beauty pageant, followed by a parade with all of the contestants and anyone else who wants to join in.

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The real center of the festivities, though, is the Prabang (or Pabang)--the royal Buddha.

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It is taken to a local temple, where it is installed so that people may pour water over it in a ritual of cleansing. It is believed that this will help make merit for the people doing it, allowing them to get closer to their goal of attaining Buddhahood themselves.

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Unfortunately, that ceremony was to take place the day after we were to leave. Still, we had a wonderful time, and I definitely look forward to returning some day, even if it is just to sit by the river and watch the sunset.

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