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Teitho!
I think. I write. I get up from the toilet seat.
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Dyen Sabai

This is a platter that we had at Dyen Sabi with most of Luang Prabang's delicacies - including Mekong Riverweed (Khai Paen) served with sweet/spicy paste (with chilli and buffalo skin) called Jaew Bawng, Sausage soup-stew (or lam). It tasted...odd..doesn't go with my taste buds lah.


Laap Paa (Fish meat salad)    Fried Pork Balls
Laap

Friedn chicken in Pandan leaves

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Buffet Dinner Roadside stalls
A trip to the food stalls (night Market) is a must. Buffet style - 10,000kip (a little more than SGD$1) gets you a plate and you can stack like there's no tomorrow.

Buffet Dinner Roadside stalls

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Luang Prabang Night Handicraft Market
I wasn't particularly interested in the handicrafts (they all looked factory made) but we bought some souvenirs
[info]gentlegiantt

They are not as hard sellers as the rest of South East Asia and the prices comes down REALLY fast. You don't even have to work.

Luang Prabang Day Market
But it is the day market which I found particularly nice. Everybody just lines up on the sides of the road and there's hardly a rush or hustle and bustle. And it was not dirty - and I've seen some horrific wet markets!


Luang Prabang Day Market

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I am at : Luang Prabang, Laos

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Morning Alms Procession

We woke up bright and early at about 5am to go see the procession which everyone was talking about. No offence, but there's hardly anything romantic about it. It happens when you look things through western perspectives? Or perhaps I'm just a tired ass/jaded traveller. Either that or the tourists outnumbering the faithful could be the reason.

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Morning Alms Procession


Wat Xieng Thong

Wat Xieng Thong

To be honest, the weather was really murderous and we were literally templed out. It's all beautiful and all but it's like Rome syndrome. Just too many and soon they all look the same.

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Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham

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Wat Wisunarat

Wat Wisunarat

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That Chomsi

Phu Si Hill (pron. Pu - si) is a central 100m hill in Luang Prabang.

Phu Si hill
It's only the beginning.. not a long climb, but no less tiring!

Phu Si Hill (That Chomsi)
You get to see quite a bit along the way up.

Phu Si Hill

Phu Si Hill   Phu Si Hill

Phu Si Hill


Phu Si Hill


Phu Si Hill


When you get to the top, you'll notice the gilded stupa of Wat Chom Si, and then a spectacular view...

Luang Prabang


Phu Si Hill


The way down promises some nice statues of the Buddha (as well as a supposed footprint)

Phu Si Hill



Phu Si Hill



Phu Si Hill


Phu Si Hill   



Phu Si Hill

Phu Si Hill


Phu Si Hill



Laos Day 470


Phu Si Hill


Phu Si Hill

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Wat Ho Pha Bang

Luang Prabang is Laos' ancient capital, so I thought it would nice to start of with Wat Ho Pha Bang. This is the new temple that will eventually house the historical Pha Bang Buddha (Luang Prabang's namesake).


Laos Day 358
This is a copy from the Pak Ou caves (photos of the actual buddha in the Royal Palace Museum are not allowed).


Wat Ho Pha Bang
Gold, gold and more gold.


Wat Ho Pha Bang



Royal Palace Museum
Royal Palace Museum


Royal Palace Museum


Royal Palace Museum
King Sisavanvong


Wat Pa Huak
Just opposite the palace grounds on Phu Si hill, is the quiet Wat Pa Huak that has the most gorgeous and ancient murals on it's walls.


Wat Pa Huak



Wat Pa Huak



Wat Pa Huak



Wat Pa Huak



Wat Pa Huak


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I am at : Luang Prabang, Laos

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Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting)

As we made our final approach to Luang Prabang, we made another stop - at Pak Ou (Tham Ting). The change in scenery, as the Karsts jutted out for a moment was most welcomed indeed. Don't get me wrong, but the scenery along the Mekong thus far was beautiful but starting to get a little monotonous.

Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting)


Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting)

The caves were filled with all kinds of Buddha statues, small and smaller. I forgot to take photos of the stairs! It was a bit of a climb.

Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting)


Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting)


Rain Buddha


Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting)


Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting)

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I am at : Pak Ou Caves, Laos

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Pak Beng

P
ak Beng really is a samll 'town'. You can walk from one end to the other in.. 10 minutes maybe. Just like Houay Xai, it had one main road for the most part and most travellers move on after a night's stay. The French tour group in our boat were going... trekking to see elephants or something. So that meant we would have the boat all to ourselves the next day!

There really isn't much here... mostly guesthouses and restaurants and small shops all catered to tourists.

Mekong River Guest House

We were recommended a nice little guest-house that overlooked the Mekong. Lovely and rustic and just a little ..

Mekong River Guest House

Old school ceiling fans and mosquito nets! Reminds so much of NS for some reason. Apparently, there isn't any air-conditioning in any of the hotels here. On our second night, there was a HUGE thunderstorm, complete with howling winds! Once again, we woke up at about 1045pm thinking it was morning and had that wonderful 'we've got hours more to sleep' feeling. I sense a trend here lol. But the best part? After a huge thunderclap, all the electricity went kaput! The entire town was enveloped in an eerie darkness. 

No electricity from 10pm to 6am
We had to rely on our own phones and my puny LED torch for light - later we discovered that there wasn't electricity anywhere in Pak Beng from 10pm - 6 am. And there were torchlights by our bedside! D'OH!

It got a bit warm throughout the night, but it soon became cold and a tad chilly. Finally, the cocks started crowing (at about 5am) and we started to wake up. It all feels so...right? So natural as you woke up when the sun started coming out as well.

Pak Beng
This one was just outside our door!

Pak Beng
Gosh, I could cook better eggs. And the soy sauce was free! The egg on the left was supposed to be 'scrambled'. LOL, sweetie you need to add MILK. Seriously, it's not that difficult! LOL But the coffee was good and strong. But then, one didn't come to Laos to eat the free breakfasts! 


Pak Beng

W
e had some time before the 730am boat departure, so we wandered around for a bit. By this time, the mass transit folks had already long departed.

Pak Beng
TIL that there are male and female papaya trees.


Pak Beng
This poor little fella had a bad limp in his left hind leg. I just wanted to rescue him right there and then. :(

Pak Beng
Please don't go...

Pak Beng
His brother was busy biting on a stick of sugarcane? Their mum gave me a bit of a scare.. I was so busy taking photos that I didn't notice here right infront of me! She gave me this 'whatever' look when I jumped.

If I had more time, perhaps I would have stopped here too and explored a bit of the surrounding area. But it was onward to Luang Prabang!

Shompoo Cruise (Pak Beng to Luang Prabang)

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I am at : Pak Beng, Oudomxay Province, Laos

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Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)

Apparently, the Mekong is filled to the brim with gold, especially during the dry season, where much of the banks are exposed. All along the river, families (mostly women and children) toiled away...panning for gold..our long boat decided to..stop by...they spend their whole day by the river, working, eating, bathing..

Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Speed Boat to Luang Prabang
This is another (don't not recommended) option. It's fast but terribly dangerous and we heard of stories of accidents, deaths and broken bones! 


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I am at : Mekong River, Pak Beng

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Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)

I guess the sign says it all. The first stop (before lunch) was at Ban Houay Pha Lam. 'Ban' means village I think or town. Both Houay Pha Lam and Houay Xai are in Borkeo province.


Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)


What struck me was that here are people in abject poverty, few possessions, but almost all had giant satellite dishes and every house had a TV.


Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)


Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)


Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)


Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)


Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)
TIL: Baby ducklings don't go 'quack'! They go 'cheep'! Terribly cute!

Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)        Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)



Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)


Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)


Ban Houy Pha Lam (village)


Laos Day 244

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I am at : Ban Houay Pha Lam, Pak Tha District, Borkeo Province, Laos

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Shompoo Cruise (Pak Beng to Luang Prabang)

We were welcomed by a ferocious thunderstorm during our first night in Laos - and the rain pounding on the zinc(?) roofs didn't put us at ease! We went to bed at about 930pm. I remember waking up, feeling utterly rested and ready for the next day but the clock showed... 1am? I thought my mind was playing tricks! I tried closing my eyes but the storm followed.

It was a good feeling though, always waking to see that "oh..I've got so much more hours to sleep". It was to be the first of many such nights. Oh Bliss!

Breakfast provided was rather blah.

Houay Xai


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)

We decided to pay a bit (well a lot more) for a VIP long boat to Luang Prabang. This was the mid-range option. Apart from the super luxurious options (and mind boggling price), you could alternatively squeeze with 70-100 locals and other tourists on the same long boat. We've seen some with minivan seats but if you're really unlucky, you'd get wooden planks to sit on. TWO DAYS squeezing and sitting on wooden planks?! OH My Hemorrhoids! 

I'm glad we paid extra.

Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)

I can't remember what was the distance that we needed to cover. 600km? 200km? It might well have been a 1000km. But it didn't matter. It would take an average of 8-9 hours (including stops) of boating each day.


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)


Shompoo Cruise (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)

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I am at : Mekong River, Laos (Houay Xai to Pak Beng)

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Houay Xai
So we finally settled down in Houay Xai, sitting by the Mekong having dinner and washing it down with some local Beer Lao. It had been a whole day of travelling - Flights from SIN to BKK then onward to Chiang Rai. Then a tuk tuk and 2 hour bus ride later to the Thai border town of Chiang Kong. THEN, it was a short five minute ferry across the Mekong river to our current position on the Lao border.

This was perhaps the most tedious way to enter a country that I've ever attempted. Perhaps more to follow? Of course, one could always fly direct to Luang Prabang (but that would be costly) or Vientiane and make your way up - but we thought this way, we could take the cruise down the Mekong - something one shouldn't miss.

But behind the tedious nature of it all, it was an experience - from the high Zen moment I had on the bus to Chiang Kong, the feeling of behind a world way from Singapore totally lifted my spirits, to the grand frustration of border crossing (oddly enough on the Thai side!). I was warmly welcomed at the Lao border by a surprisingly cheerful female officer - all smiles and Welcome to Laos. At Chiang Kong, the guy made me wait forever because he couldn't figure how to work the computer. Honestly I thought he wasn't going to let me leave Thailand for some reason or other. To be fair, I was warmly greeted at Bangkok. Oh well. 

Chiang Kong (Thai Border)
Chiang Kong (Thai Border)

Houay Xai (Lao Border)
Lao border (I couldnt take a picture for obvious reasons). But the tiny customs area was a bit messy and confusing. Singaporeans and other ASEAN travellers don't need the USD$35 visa application - you just need to fill in a simple arrival and departure form. But it was still a scene though - Americans and Europeans were crowding around the VISA windows  - luggage, backpacks and what not everywhere. It was hot, stuffy and we were tired. But we cleared it in a snap. Then we had to turn and go backwards to change our money. LOL in hindsight we should have changed money first - but you get a reasonable and perhaps a little better rate for the local Kip (pron. Geep) here. 

Gateway Villa Hotel      Gateway Villa Hotel

We checked into the first hotel up the slope from Immigration. A bit pricey for Houay Say at USD$18 a night for a double but heck, did we mention being tired from a whole day of travel? It was basic but alright - airconditioning, hot water, breakfast and a view! And the new linens...ohh...high thread count no doubt! 

Houay Xai


Houay Xai
Apart from some trekking to villages and the Gibbon Experience, there really isn't much to do at Houay Xai (pron. Hock Say). Most travellers (like us) just stay the night and catch a long boat down the Mekong the next day. We understand that there's another friendship bridge in the works (we passed it down the Mekong) so I wonder how this will affect both towns on both sides of the border in the future.

Houay Xai     Houay Xai     Houay Xai



Houay Xai


Houay Xai


Houay Xai


Beer Lao


Laap
Laap (very herby, minty but meaty salad)

Laotian fried noodles
K
inda like Hor Fun but with extra Sweet Soy Sauce


Laos Day One14   

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368. Muddy Waters - Hard Again (1977)

Cover (Hard Again:Muddy Waters)

Genre - Electric Blues


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Good Friday


Procession


Candle


St. Joseph's Church

GoodFriday12    


GoodFriday15



GoodFriday20


GoodFriday17   


GoodFriday32

GoodFriday28

GoodFriday27

GoodFriday22

Procession

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Ravi Shankar. He's 92 and still going strong. His influence on all sorts of Music (from Hindustani, Indian classical,  western classical to even western popular music styles) cannot be underestimated. A living treasure. 


Raag Asa Bhairav


Raag puriy-Kalyan


Raag Bhimpalasi


Raag Saman Sarang


Sitar Violin Duet with Sir Yehudi Menuhin


George Harrison from the Beatles taking lessons from the great Pandit


Raga Adana (From his Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra)




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Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (1873)



Perhaps the last great romantic...


Piano Concerto no.3


Piano Concerto no.2 (2nd movement - used as the basis for 'All by Myself)



Piano Concerto no.2 (3rd movement)



Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini



Prelude in C# minor



Symphony no.2 (2nd movement)

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One of the Giants of Classical Music and the Classic era. Father of both the Symphony AND the String Quartet no less. 
Another one impossible to summarise in one entry...


Symphony 104 (London)



Symphony 94 (Surprise)


Symphony 45 (Farewell)


String Quartet in C (Emperor)


Piano Sonata in Eb



Piano Trio in G (Gypsy Rondo)



Trumpet Concerto



Cello Concerto in C

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Bumper crop of birthdays today - mostly popular genres though...

Let's start with ...

Astrud Gilberto  (1940)


The Girl from Ipanema 


Eric Clapton (1945)

Tears in Heaven

Clapton has many hits, but I'll always identify him with this. Tears in my eyes everytime...

MC Hammer (1962)


Can't Touch This
Serisously...what on earth happened in the 90s? Hahaha.. but at least it had character!




Celine Dion (1968)



Yes, yes, there'll always be Titanic's "My Heart Will Go On", but The Power of Love will always be her signature song. I loved the comments - how kids of this generation were made to this song? ROTFLMAO







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William Walton (1902)

Young man in suit and tie looking towards the camera


Crown Imperial

More works 

more works )

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What a gem of a find! So much music, so little time...


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I am : tired tired

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Johann Sebastian Bach (b. 21 March 1685)



I've been putting this on hold for almost a week now - because it really is an impossible task to do a summary in just one journal entry. Everything is essential! One day, I promise myself I'll do a pilgrimage to Germany. To visit and kneel and bow my head before Bach's grave. 

Anyway..I'll let the music speak for itself...


The Music )


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367. Weather Report - Heavy Weather (1977)



Genre - Jazz Fusion

A most important jazz album. A must for all Jazz fusion lovers, and of course..all Bass players. Jaco Pastorius is perhaps one of the most revolutionary bass players of our time. 

Birdland


Havona

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Darren Sim
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Name: Darren Sim
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