north laos + thailand 2009

1. 27 Nov - SIN > KUL
2. 28 Nov - KUL > VTE (Talat Khua Din, Wat Hay Sok)
   
3. 29 Nov - VTE
4. 30 Nov - VTE
5. 01 Dec - VTE
6. 02 Dec - VTE 
7. 03 Dec - VTE > Bor Nam Oun
8. 04 Dec - Bor Nam Oun > Luang Prabang
9. 05 Dec - Luang Prabang
10. 06 Dec - Luang Prabang
11. 07 Dec - Luang Prabang
12. 08 Dec - Luang Prabang > Oudomxay
13. 09 Dec - Oudomxay > Boun Neua
14. 10 Dec - Boun Neua > Ou Tai
15. 11 Dec - Ou Tai > Ou Neua > Ou Tai
16. 12 Dec - Ou Tai > Boun Neua
17. 13 Dec - Boun Neua > Phongsaly
18. 14 Dec - Phongsaly
19. 15 Dec - Phongsaly > Hat Sa > Muang Khua
20. 16 Dec - Muang Khua > Nong Khiaw
21. 17 Dec - Nong Khiaw > Luang Prabang
22. 18 Dec - Luang Prabang
23. 19 Dec - Luang Prabang
24. 20 Dec - Luang Prabang > Sayabouly
25. 21 Dec - Sayabouly > Hongsa
26. 22 Dec - Hongsa > Ban Vieng Keo > Hongsa
    
27. 23 Dec - Hongsa > Muang Ngeun
28. 24 Dec - Muang Ngeun > Huay Kon > Thung Chang > Pua
29. 25 Dec - Pua > Tha Wang Pha > Ban Nong Bua > Pua
30. 26 Dec - Pua > Chiang Klang > Pua > Nan
    
31. 27 Dec - Nan
    
32. 28 Dec - Nan > Ban Pang Ma O (Phu Langka)
33. 29 Dec - Ban Pang Ma O (Phu Langka) > Chiang Kham > Thoeng > Chiangrai
34. 30 Dec - Chiangrai > Ban Apa
35. 31 Dec - Ban Apa > Namtok Huay Mae Sai > Ban Jalae > Ban Huay Mae Sai > Ban Apa
36. 01 Jan - Ban Apa
37. 02 Jan - Ban Apa > Chiangrai
38. 03 Jan - Chiangrai
39. 04 Jan - CEI > BKK (Khlong Saen Saeb, Rattanakosin, Saphan Taksin) > SIN
    

280707 That Luang - 11 kite

Once upon a time, the cat played with kites made from plastic bags, garbage bags & newspapers too :)

280707 That Luang - 10 King

All photos in this post by K-san 

King Setthathilath, the guy who built That Luang:






In the shadow of the King:



Who are these blue shirts?




Blue shirts buying offerings of marigolds from blue shirts - interesting how the boy at right is wearing a cross:

280707 That Luang - 09 monochrome

280707 That Luang - 08 more offerings

280707 That Luang - 07 offerings

Naga diet - sticky rice...



& chocolate wafers garnished with marigold flowers...



& banana leaves, jasmine flower buds & plain water (they do drink from cups):



Phansa candles:



BIG FAT candle meets tiny thin counterparts:





Hanging mobile made by tying coloured thread on an asterisk-shaped bamboo frame - they are usually diamond-shaped & this is the first hexagon-shaped piece the cat has ever seen:




Still wondering which Tai ethnic group makes these mobiles - is it the Phuan (พวน)?

280707 That Luang - 06

Photos from 300707:





At the back/eastern side of the stupa:




A little stupa:



Think it is the That Si Thamma Hay Sok:

280707 That Luang - 05 parts of that

There are 30 of these 'spires' surrounding the actual stupa:



Each one represents a parami (บารมี barami - Thai, 波罗蜜 bo1 luo2 mi4 - Chinese), the perfection of a virtue that is part of the path to enlightenment:



10 parami - dana (ทาน taan 布施, generosity - from which the practice of giving alms stems), sila (ศีล siin 持戒, virtue - observing the precepts), nekkhamma (เนกขัมมะ renunciation), panna (ปัญญา panya 智慧, wisdom), viriya (วิริยะ wiriya 精進, persistence), khanti (ขันติ 忍辱 patience/tolerance), sacca (สัจจะ satja 真实, truth), adhitthana (อธิษฐาน 決意 determination), metta (เมตตา 慈 loving kindness) & upekkha (อุเบกขา ubekkha 和捨, equanimity) - each practised at 3 levels (parami, upaparami & paramattha parami) gives a total of 30 parami. The 30 parami (timsa parami) are sometimes included in the chanting sessions at Theravada temples.

There are jatakas (stories of the past lives of the Buddha) that describe each of the 10 parami, & the marathon recitation of the Vessantara jataka (Maha Wetsandon chadok, about the generosity of Prince Vessantara) is the focus of the Boun Pha Wet festival in Laos & Isaan. The Pali words for the various parami feature in the 'ordained'/Pali names of many Theravada monks & nuns, & likewise some of the Chinese words in the ordained names of Chinese Mahayana monks & nuns. For laypeople, the Chinese words for the parami of panna & metta also appear as part of some Chinese first names, while a few of the Lao/Thai terms for the parami are popular in both first & family names - in particular 'khanti' for Lao people (e.g. Khantisouk), which is pretty apt given the amount of waiting that is involved in getting things done in Laos :P

Useless trivia - 波罗蜜 the Chinese term for parami sounds exactly like & is written almost exactly like 菠萝蜜 the Chinese word for jackfruit :P & it so happens that Theravada monks of the Thai forest tradition traditionally dyed their robes brown using the heartwood of jackfruit trees.