Luang Prabang really is the coolest place on the planet and to us is up there as one of our favourite places.
We're especially looking forward to visiting Fan, a novice monk we met last year and have been emailing since and donating bits of money here and there so he can have English classes. It really doesn't cost very much by Western standards. Fan comes from a small village on the Nam Ou river north of LP where there is only a primary school and so there was no opportunity for him to continue his education. But Fan is one of the lucky ones whereby his family managed to have him accepted as a novice monk in a temple in LP.
We found his temple Xieng Mouane. There were several orange robed boys on a roof fixing it but we couldn't see Fan amongst them so we asked a novice where we might find him. He ran off shouting his name and then Fan appeared, beaming, in the doorway of an old raised hut. Just as quickly he disappeared again as he dashed back to rapidly tidy his quarters before he would let us enter! Boys, the same the world over!
His personal space, shared with another is an incredibly basic wooden room about 8x6 ft - sheets of newspaper line the Walls and ceiling. His school books piled high on a small table on top of which sits his pride and joy - a basic old mobile phone we'd sent him. It has a camera and he was quickly taking our pictures with it as if he thought we might disappear.
We talked for about 45 minutes, his English is really very good considering how little tuition he's had so far. I had to sit on the floor because women have to be below monks and can't touch them. Then we left as it was time for prayers.
We also met up with Alan Shiel, one of the directors of LEOT a small UK charity helping children from very poor backgrounds in Laos to have an education. Alan has been hugely kind in helping us to help Fan. What is great is that LEOT are happy to take Fan on with our guaranteed sponsorship which is much better for him than us trying to do it on our own.
Sunday 11th
We got up early as Fan wanted us to present alms.
He was very particular with the time - five to he said but instead of five to seven he told us five to 6! It's an absolutely wonderful thing to see in Luang Prabang. There are over 30 temples and every morning the hundreds of monks walk through the streets and the residents (and some tourists) put rice and fruit and all sorts into the alms bowls the monks carry. When done they return to their respective temples, pour everything out on the floor and then divide up between each man or boy for the two meals they eat that day being breakfast and lunch. After midday they don't eat anything until the following morning when they do it all over again.
The rest of our day we ambled round town - it's a wonderful place to amble. A coffee here, a temple there, a massage before we head to the banks of the Mekong for lunch. We revisited Fan in the afternoon as he wanted to show us his old temple and to meet his brother Un. He told us to meet at his school as we needed to take a Tuk Tuk and so it was all a bit covert- we think probably as it's not really accepted for monks to travel with foreigners. His old temple was lovely and on the banks of a small river with only 5 monks. His master was away which was a shame - Fan had been twitching his robes all the way there to look his best for his old master. His brother is sweet and only twelve and already living away from home for 7 months waiting to take Fans place at the temple so he too can get a secondary education. It's a tough life.
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