2/17–Luang Prabang–The Wat Walk Continues

We're into the final stretch of our Wat Walk – or at least that’s what we think – when we hit Wat Row. Seriously, this half mile stretch of Sakkaline Road (before it turns into Sisavangvung Road) is lined with something like 10 Wats.  Every few feet there is another Wat to explore.  We pass the first one, Wat Pak Khan, because it doesn’t appear open to the public, but looks more like a monastery or Monk Quarters – maybe even a training center.  But we do enter the next one, Wat Souvannakhiri, a lovely little complex with large, leafy trees, shaded picnic benches and a simple, but pretty temple surrounded by stupas. 

As we are wandering around the courtyard, we hear a Drum (gong) being sounded from up the street.  Of course we’re going to go explore where it is coming from, so off we go, to the next Wat on the block, Wat Sibounheuang, and find they are in the midst of an alms giving ceremony.  The Monks are banging the drum to call the worshippers to the temple for Alms. 

 

The Monks are just finishing their calling as we arrive, so we turn our attention to the Alms. Wow – there are tons of gifts here. And more are arriving as we watch.  Huge carriage like structures that take at least 2 men to carry, containing everything from pillows to blankets to food to rice cookers to electric fans.  And then there are the money trees. It’s pretty impressive to see how much the worshippers really support their Monks. 

All the locals are going inside the Wat, but I don’t feel comfortable going inside to look around (and heaven forbid take pictures) when they are involved in their ceremony (not that the other tourists seem to have any problems, as we watch them go into the Wat with their cameras poised).  So, now that the ceremony is over – or at least in intermission – we go back to Wat Souvannakhiri to look through a photo exhibition (no pictures allowed) of one of the local photographers who has documented a Monk retreat in the woods.  The photos are fabulous and definitely worth the visit.  Sunny poses for his own retreat pictures before we continue on our walk.

Just past the Wat with the Alms giving ceremony, we find Wat Syrimoungkoun Xaiyaram. A simpler wat without much to really see except the Buddha inside the Sim.

We move on pretty quickly from here to the next Wat (literally these 3 Wats are all separated by just a white concrete fence – they are all in a row – one right after the other), Wat Sop Sickharam.  Here is a lovely little garden area, along with quite a few statuary outside, as well as the freshly painted Drum pavilion.

After berating a guy who looks directly at the take your shoes off sign, then completely ignores it and walks up to the temple with his shoes on, we leave to make what ends up being our last stop at the Wat Sensoukharam, otherwise known as Wat Sene.  It’s name comes from the initial donation of 100,000 Kip (called sene in Lao) to start the construction of the temple in 1714.  It is a beautiful example of Thai style temple and is most well known for the storage of the huge boats used in an annual boat racing festival.  It’s quite ornate with its giant Buddha and Red and Gold inlaid exterior. 

And with this stop, we are done.  It has been a wonderful day, and we’ve seen some interesting and different architectural styles and religious icons – but we are Wat-ed out.  Fortunately we’ve made a complete circuit of the peninsula, so we are only minutes away from our hotel – where we head without hesitation to relax on the balcony before venturing out again for dinner.