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reflections

Saturday, December 6th, 2008

Luang Prabang, Laos

A simple graphical journey of reflection on our trip so far, two calendar months on
(actually, just an excuse to use some of our favourite reflection photos)….

Singapore Quay Area 002

Singapore

Melaka_30

Malaysia: Melaka

China town_28

Thailand: Bangkok Chinatown

trek 058

Thailand: Mae Tang

Mekong River_17

Laos: Mekong River

Luang Prabang_086

Laos: Luang Prabang

sunset_04

Laos: Luang Prabang

sunset_18

Laos: Luang Prabang

If you would like to see the rest of our photos so far, you can click on the following links (and if you do take a look, would you mind posting a comment to let us know whether they are working or not – we’ve heard they’re not, but from our end everything looks fine, so we are wondering if it’s just their computer or a bigger headache for us to sort out!)

* Singapore *

* Malaysia *

* Thailand *

* (the trek) *

* Laos *

* Room With A View *

crafty goodness

Saturday, December 6th, 2008

By the Family’s Knitter
Luang Prabang, Laos

 

From December 1-6 Luang Prabang is hosting the first ever Handicraft Festival, which has been organised by the lady we stayed with the first night. She has been instrumental in bringing together a group of crafters to share thoughts, designs and business ideas to preserve and promote local handwork for future generations. They opened their festivities with a Fashion Show, including the current Miss Lao, the province’s governor (he both gave the opening speech and paraded up the catwalk), cute children, a local dance troupe and a stunning array of locally-designed and made costumes. Just between you and me, the evening would have been a greater success if they hadn’t started an hour late (although maybe the lady we went with had her details wrong) and if the ratio of speeches to catwalk action was reversed from 10:3. Not that the thousand-strong crowd seemed to notice the speeches – they chatted right through them all!

We had been intending to not buy any souvenirs, but one aunty gifted the children some money and so we have ended up with some gorgeous handmade gear from both Thailand and Laos. If we were at the end of our trip, about to head home, we would definitely be buying more! Time to show aunty what her Christmas money has gone towards……..no made in China plastic junk!

The clothing is multi-size and should last a few years!!

These are second-hand Hmong materials refashioned into something the tourists will buy – there was a very funky rooster that would definitely bring back memories for us, but the little girls loved their elephant ride so much…and the toys were supposed to be for them 😉 The Hmong ball will provide a tangible link between our reading about the New Year dances with seeing them in real life – besides, it’s fun to play with now.
(Jgirl14 bought herself a cross-stitched backpack instead of clothes).

Balls were being sorely missed, and when another backpacker turned up with a rattan one from Thailand, our boys set out on a mission to find their own in Laos. Our guest house owner had told them they would probably need to pay between 15,000 and 20,000 kip. They didn’t even think to bargain when the first price offer was 10,000!!  And the lady generously gave everyone a miniature one too. Only photo is an action shot tkaen on the banks of the Mekong with some local kids – try to spot da ball:

Jgirl14 has always wanted bagpipes, and the guy on the side of the road was selling, among other things, something very bagpipe-ish, so we were surprised when J14 started negotiating for the simple pan flute. Luckily it doesn’t wail like a cat bagpipes!

insert photo here – oops haven’t taken one!

Crossbow. Need I say more? A month later the boys still can hardly believe they were allowed to bargain for this one!

walk where the road takes you

Friday, December 5th, 2008
text straight from Rach's journal, illustration from Jboy12's Luang Prabang, Laos

 

The children are all sitting on a huge mound of dirt in the shade of a tree, journals open in their laps, pencils sketching ... [Continue reading this entry]

o little town of bethlehem…

Friday, December 5th, 2008
By a reminisce-er Luang Prabang, Laos For more years than we can remember (maybe a decade), the first Friday night in December has been spent at our city's town hall with friends singing Christmas carols with a choir and orchestra. Not ... [Continue reading this entry]

sunset on the mekong

Thursday, December 4th, 2008
By Rachael Luang Prabang, Laos

orange ball dipping lower and lower

sliding down the side of a peak

reflections on the water dimming

boat sides darkening

muted tones paint the sky

silhouettes emerge

and mosquitoes too

dusk

then darkness

[Continue reading this entry]

no room at the inn

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
by Rachael Luang Prabang, Laos As we prepare for Christmas, we are seeing the story through new eyes. We now have a fuller understanding of going door-to-door looking for a place to lay our heads for the night. When we left NZ ... [Continue reading this entry]

party party…

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
by Rach Luang Prabang, Laos Yesterday was December first, which for us would usually mean putting up the Christmas tree. It is a much-anticipated tradition, and one the children were feeling a bit disappointed about missing.....until.....they saw, late in the morning, ... [Continue reading this entry]

JINGLE BELLS

Monday, December 1st, 2008
By Rachael Luang Prabang, Laos

 

* jingle jingle * jingle jingle * The silver coins decorating skirts, shirts and head-dresses clink together with every step, announcing the arrival of striking black-and-bright-rainbow-pattern-attired Hmong people. Wherever they walk, ... [Continue reading this entry]

backtrack

Sunday, November 30th, 2008
Luang Prabang, Laos while internet access has been intermittent (that's a generous term for "non-existent for three days") in Luang Prabang, when we have had it, it's been FAST, so we've uploaded our pictures from the hilltribe trek we did ... [Continue reading this entry]

What’s in ‘da Hood?

Sunday, November 30th, 2008

by Rob Luang Prabang, Laos 

Wats is around us? (Rach edits: I'm not sure if that's supposed to be another one of the far-too-many-wat-jokes or if it was just a typo!!!!!) What does life look like in a 1km ... [Continue reading this entry]