19
November 2016
We woke
up at 5.30 a.m. this morning, and left the hotel at 6 a.m. to go into town to
watch the alms giving ceremony. This is when the locals give all kinds of food
to the Buddhist monks; this is their food for the day. Silvia and I bought a
basket of sticky rice, and we knelt on the mat left by the locals along the
road, and then the monks in saffron robes came in a procession and we gave them
a pinch of sticky rice each.
According
to our guide, families from all over Laos who cannot afford education for their
children, send their children to Buddhist monasteries to learn the ways of a
monk, and they will also receive an education. At the age of majority, they can
choose whether to continue being a Buddhist monk or to lead a normal life. It’s
not easy I guess, especially if you’re a growing child, having to depend on the
kindness of society to feed you every day. Having to wake up at 5 a.m., walk to
town and collect food for the day.
After
this we went to the morning market where the locals sold and bought all their
daily needs. We saw some pretty bizarre things here such as frogs, moles,
worms, live fish, a tortoise, river weed, various types of vegetables and
various types of fish from the Mekong river. Some were really big. Silvia
wanted to try the blood sausage but it was made of cows’ blood so we bought
pork sausages instead. It was not bad but not great either.
Then
back to the hotel for breakfast, which was not very good. Not many local
dishes, and the coffee was so weak it felt like I was drinking milk with sugar.
And
then more devastating news. Philip found a 6th dead pup. Will this
nightmare never end? 6 dead puppies! Poor, poor Geri.
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