While in Laos, we did the most touristy thing you can do in Southeast Asia, we decided to go for an elephant ride. It was my chance to see an elephant up close. Each elephant has a mahout that works only with that specific elephant. The mahout served as our guide and let us take his position at the front of the elephant…thank God I wore pants since an elephant’s hair is course and prickly. It was hilarious watching my sister when the elephant was going up a small hill, she thought she was going to fall over. I included a picture for reference.
The ride wasn’t that long, but we were able to purchase some food and feed the elephants afterwards.
I know this is an activity that many people find problematic. We asked our guide and she said Contiki picked the place because the elephants are well cared for, and each one has its own caretaker. I’ve always wanted to ride an elephant, and I’d ride a camel if I went to Egypt. So if it’s something you want to do, go for it. At least local people are employed and the elephants are being cared for…
We did the elephant ride in the early morning so we wouldn’t be in the hot sun. In the afternoon, we spent time walking around the town. In Luang Prabang, there is a bamboo bridge over the Nam Kahn River that is dismantled before the rainy season then rebuilt afterwards. The price you pay helps pay for the upkeep of the bridge and the family’s salary that builds it. Spend time walking around and you will run across this bridge…cross to the over side and spend some time exploring. It’s sturdy, so nothing to worry about.
While exploring the town, we saw that there are some great cafes in the area…we had lunch at one that is a book store. These are the places where you will run into other tourists. But nice to sit in the air conditioning, browse through books, and have an iced tea. There is Thai iced tea and coffee sold by vendors on the street for way cheaper, and it is delicious but very sweet. Later, we found a beautiful restaurant that overlooks the river, and I remember we sat on the floor. I was happy to have a glass of wine…was getting tired of beer.
The next morning we were up at 5am to give alms to the monks at sunrise. A local family prepared sticky rice for us, and set up mats for us with these scarves to wear across our bodies. We made sure to be dressed appropriately as well. We had some strange moments with some Chinse tourists that were taking pictures of our group. Our guide got really annoyed and started taking pictures of one of them, who did not want his picture taken…go figure. Taking part in the giving of alms was a great experience. The monks are supported by the town; they collect enough rice to feed them for their two daily meals. So at sunrise they walk through the town to get their rice…they also receive fun items like chocolate bars and other things. There is a great range of ages since young boys to older men can be monks. As I mentioned before, being a monk is not a lifetime commitment…a boy or man can do it for certain periods of time like a few months or years. It was worth getting up at 5am for this cultural experience, and it’s hard to describe this with words alone. It’s unlike anything I have ever witnessed before, and it was great to be able to be part of the experience.