mark prior photography

Three stops in a whirlwind introductory trip through Laos, the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Luang Prabang and the Plain of Jars, and the capital Vientiane. The alms procession in Luang Prabang is a tourist magnet and a bit of a circus but the more authentic, largely tourist free (very early, pre dawn) version in Vientiane has a much nicer feel.

The UNESCO World Heritage Plain of Jars extends over the Xiangkhoang Plateau with Phonsavan being the closest town. Sensible people would fly into Phonsavan from Vientiane but as I decided to visit it from Luang Prabang I went by "road", one day in each direction with one day at the Plain of Jars. This turned out to be a terrible idea as the road is destroyed by both the weather and the Chinese trucks leaving it a potholed dusty trail. Still I stayed at a fantastic B&B in Phonsavan and enjoyed my time at the three sites I visited. The largest (site 1) has a museum that provides background but sites 2 and 3 were largely unspoilt by any people leaving you to just take in the beautiful surroundings and wonder why?

A row of low plastic chairs in various colours waiting for tourists. There must be a VIP area as there is a stretch of red carpet under some of them.
A dark street lit with street lights waits for tourists and the monk's morning alms. Along one footpath istretches a row of small plastic chairs in a variety of colours and styles. Some vendors are in the street organising the chairs and the offerings to sell to the tourists to give to the monks. There are also a couple of other photographers trying to work out how to best shoot this scene when it gets busy.
Two tourists are already seated on their small, low blue stools bowls of rice in hand with someone taking their photograph.
And the action has started! Dawn has broken although the street lights are still on. The monks are walking down the footpath past tourists and locals on their plastic stools. There are a lot of tourists milling around in the middle of the street for no obvious reason (perhaps they had just arrived) but at least they aren't getting in the way of the monks.
In a quiet back street a group of monks come past two local women who add rice to their bowls. The tourists had all sorts of junk to give to the monks who discretely took it from their bowl and deposited it into a shoulder bag most of them also carried.
Getting down low as a group of young novices came past the two local women with their rice. Next to one of the women is a basket where the monks can dump the stuff that they don't want. In the background is another group of novices visiting another local woman..
The early morning light caresses Wat Xiengthong's Sim making the gold stencilling on the front of the red ochre building glow. The roof is layered and nearly reaches the pedestal on which the building stands. The peak of each of these layers is decorated by an emerald green horn of the Naga. Just visible in the centre of the roof is the Dok So Fa, small pagodas covered in gold that hook upwards to the sky.
A Buddha wearing a golden cloak seeks shelter from the sun in an open shelter in the Wat. The columns of the shelter and the interior of the roof are covered with gold stencils over an ochre base.
In the Red Chapel is a spectacular bronze reclining Buddha. It was crafted in 1569 on the order of King Sai Setthathirat. Framed tapestries depicting a stupa and the Buddha flank the altar and there is a sitting Buddha between them, in front of the reclining Buddha, wearing a gold shawl. The ceiling is red and covered with gold stencils while the walls are a dark navy with stenciled Buddhas in gold.
Time for a sunset cruise on the Mekong. We aren't the only boat that thinks this is a good idea. The sun has descended and is just caressing one of the hills creating a warm orange glow across the scene.
The sun has dropped behind the hill and this has divided the frame into an orange sky and a dark hill. Across the diagonal ridge line are a number of trees that are now cast into a sharp silhouette.
Luang Prabang's back streets are quieter with only a few tourists and locals spaced at irregular intervals. The monks and novices walk in groups down the street in single file stopping to collect offerings.
I was standing at the end of the street with the entrance to the Wat behind me so these monks are probably done for the day (although some groups seemed to do laps) and so the "rubbish" was liberated from their bowls and lids placed on them to keep the rice warm.
A young monk receiving his portion of rice from one of the local ladies.
Not all the monks leave the Wat to perform the alms procession. This one was standing inside the fence checking his iPhone. Checking the news or timing the laps?
A group of novices queuing to get their share of rice. Most of them are looking down but one has spotted me and my camera pointing at them.
The Morning market in Luang Prabang. This area has a wide range of fruit and vegetables laid out on sheets of card or sitting on plastic crates.
This just confused me. Two grey bearded statues sitting cross legged wearing tiger striped robes, with a necklace of round black beads and an interesting headdress/crown also with tiger stripes. In front of them is an empty offering plate.
Need a group of monks urgently? Order them by the truck load! A small flatbed truck with seating along the sides and a roof provides transport for a group of monks and/or novices.
The road, if you can call it that, may be a dusty, potholed disaster but the views from the side of the road of the rolling countryside are pretty nice. Still its quite hazy so the visibility isn't great.
A quick comfort stop in Pho Kham. The road here is a bit beaten up but better than other sections. A truck has also stopped and is visible on the right of the image while we look up the street. Some shops are open on the left.
Another stop by the side of the road to take in the view and then I found some bushy reeds and so I focused on them with the hilly countryside in the background.
It seemed like some event doing on with people sitting beside the stream in this distance but I didn't find out. I was however fascinated by the fishing rigs in the foreground. While the net was flat it did remind me somewhat of the fisherman of Inle Lake in Myanmar. Here it is a much more basic bamboo structure holding a flat net that is dropped into the brown water.
Standing in a quiet, peaceful, shaded grove of tress stands some enigmatic, bronze age stone jars. This is the UNESCO World Heritage Plain of Jars.
Another grove is trees and more jars. Some are just weathered but others have been damaged during the American bombing of Laos. This is the third Plain of Jars site.
A single jar standing in the main Plain of Jars site. This site is the main site, with jars spread over a large area with little shelter. It is also the site of a museum discussing the jars, the American War and the issues with unexploded ordinances. As a consequence it receives more visitors than the others.
A massive golden Buddha sits serenely at the temple.
Looking through a window with a Buddha shaped grate down Avenue Lane Xang
As is common across South East Asia cables are strung from poles in increasing density. In this image it would appear that all the cables are forming a nest on a pole outside the Hard Rock Cafe, which also includes a street light and two sets of power lines.
A colourful panel of a family of elephants gathering around a waterhole. Behind them iare monkeys sitting in the branches of a large tree, two waterfalls and a rising (or setting) sun.
A small golden temple in the Lao style. We are looking through some golden gates down towards the temple.
Patuxay Park is a place than many people go in the evening. There are pons with dancing fountains illuminated by different coloured lights, a pedestrian promenade and the Patuxai itself.
During the day it might look a little tired and in need of some tender loving care (which is happening inside) but at night it is beautifully illuminated, setting off the carving on the outside and the panels in the arches.
You can't have a night market without street food.
Unlike Luang Prabang alms in Vientiane is a pre dawn ritual happening when most of the tourists are still tucked up in bed. Here we have a line of monks passing by a couple of groups of locals who have set up a rug on the footpath with candles proving the light.
No hustle and bustle in the pre dawn streets on Vientiane, just monks siliently walking on their rounds collecting alms.