Buddhist Monks’ Alms — You have to be up early to give alms to the monks in Luang Prabang. Monks from five different monasteries walk the main street in the early morning with their vessels in the daily ritual of collecting alms. Monks eat only two meals each day – breakfast and lunch – and must each receive this food as alms by walking the streets. Buddhist faithful improve themselves by giving alms.

How the monks do this varies – here they come out around 5:30 am, announced by the beating of a gong, and proceed down the street in a line, ranked from the head monk down in order of age and prestige, and offer their pots for individuals to donate some rice, some other important food item, or money.

One woman has a lock on the sticky rice franchise for this activity (preparing sticky rice for sale and providing baskets, shawls, and chairs for the donors). Those who want to donate to the monks can buy the sticky rice from her in a little basket, wrap the shawl she provides around themselves, and use the low plastic chairs she puts out for her customers on the sidewalk.

Much of this ritual is prescribed — the donor must be lower than the monks, women must not make physical or eye contact with the monks, donors must be barefoot with shoes out of sight, they must offer the monk a small amount of sticky rice and place it in the pot if accepted, there must not be flash photography and it must not interfere with the monks activity… and so on.

The monks start to appear, coming in separate lines from each of the monasteries. They silently move down the line of donors, each monk accepting the offering from each donor, and moving on to the next, and continuing on after the last donor – to return to the monastery. It is all very quiet and respectful. In some places, the monks will chant or say a blessing for the donor, but this instance seems more automated. It is a humbling experience for us, though, to witness this degree of devotion.

Morning market – Luang Prabang’s morning market is one of the best we have seen – for variety and sheer size. The displays of fruits and vegetables are works of art. We also have an opportunity to see some of the “edibles” we would not have previously put in that category.

Breakfast — It is getting late and walking the market made us hungry. Cat has the perfect answer for us: a streetside stand specializing in rice crepes with egg and sausage filling — a Laotian standard breakfast or snack. Served either as rolls or omelet with lots of fried shallots and dipping sauce.

Palace — Luang Prabang was home for a monarchy at various times in history – most recently beginning in the 18th century and continuing after the French arrived and under their protection. The Royal Palace was built in the early 20th century for King Sisavang Vang. It is now a national museum. There is a gorgeous Buddhist temple for the royal family on the palace grounds. We walk the Palace grounds but the Palace itself and the temple are closed. It is all still impressive from the outside.

Ballet — On the Palace grounds in the evening – our last night in Luang Prabang – we attend a traditional ballet performance. The characters are out of Hindu mythology — complete with the monkey armies and the demons. It is beautifully costumed and performed, and, although we had no way to follow the story, the combination of traditional music and dance was mesmerizing.