{"id":1669,"date":"2012-02-17T03:53:02","date_gmt":"2012-02-17T13:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/?p=1669"},"modified":"2012-02-17T21:44:01","modified_gmt":"2012-02-17T14:44:01","slug":"theyre-manufacturing-buddhas-theyve-got-the-perfect-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/2012\/02\/17\/theyre-manufacturing-buddhas-theyve-got-the-perfect-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"They&rsquo;re Manufacturing Buddhas, They&rsquo;ve Got The Perfect Thing"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4 align=\"center\">[Written Thursday, February The 16th, Evening]<\/h4>\n<p align=\"justify\">Began the day yesterday, Wednesday, picking up where\u2019d I\u2019d left off on Tuesday eve. In other words, I was yet to check out the temples on the other side of the Mekong.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">On the way into town to get the cross-river ferry, I passed by the Buddha Factory.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/buddhafactory.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"buddhafactory\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/buddhafactory_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"buddhafactory\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Departing the ferry-boat, was greeted with yet another method of keeping da flies off da meat.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/flyfan.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"flyfan\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/flyfan_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"flyfan\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is how we do it on the <em>West Siyeede<\/em>, bitches!<\/p>\n<p>Up next, the Hell\u2019s Angels of tomorrow (cop on the beat\u2019s\u00a0 already got his eyes on \u2018em).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/hellsanges.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"hellsanges\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/hellsanges_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"hellsanges\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The West side of the river, as you see, is much like the North: small villages, dirt roads, friendly folk. Including this woman, out to sell some riverweed, but kind enough to pause and let me get my photographic kicks.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/riverweedwoman.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"riverweedwoman\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/riverweedwoman_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"riverweedwoman\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Walking through the village, yet some <em>more<\/em> <em>Blair Witch Project<\/em> action going on. Whoever\u2019s responsible for these creations is sure to wind up depicted on one of the temples&#8217; Murals Of Damnation!<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/blairwitch1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"blairwitch\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/blairwitch_thumb1.jpg\" alt=\"blairwitch\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The game of choice for the youngsters was a to-me strange and enchanting horseshoes-esque affair, played with croquet balls.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/boules.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"boules\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/boules_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"boules\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">I couldn\u2019t ever really make out the rules \u2013 but did note that cash was not changing hands. Later, Martin \u2013 my German dormmate \u2013 informed me that this is a French game called \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Boules\">Boules<\/a>\u201d. Looked it up, and discovered that he\u2019s oh so correct. Thank gods for Germans!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\">\n<div style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;\">\t\t\t\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Village Boules 1\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;\"  src=\"https:\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/photos\/6884070139\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Well, all the temples were right where the map said they\u2019d be. But, problemo: every stinkin\u2019 one of them charged admission. I just can\u2019t go there. That slope is so slippery that I\u2019m quite certain that if I were to even once pay temple-admission fees, I\u2019d within a month be back in Patpong, turning tricks to scrounge up enough cash to visit the most obscure temple in the most obscure village in the most obscure prefecture in all of Asia.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">My nearest sniff was this under-construction outdoor-Buddha, overlooking the river.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/riverbuddha.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"riverbuddha\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/riverbuddha_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"riverbuddha\" width=\"483\" height=\"724\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Hella nice view from this village (what else is new?).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/villageview.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"villageview\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/villageview_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"villageview\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Would like to be able to hike up that hill \u2013 don\u2019t know whether there are trails or not. Oh, I just remembered &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/hobomaps.com\/\">Hobomaps<\/a>&#8221; &#8212; a great resource tipped off to me by the Latvians back in Luang Namtha. Looks like there&#8217;re trails <em>around<\/em> the hill, but not up it. Drat.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">If you recall the picture of the boy, from yesterday, with the long jar-on-stick contraption\u2026I had guessed that he must be harvesting Papayas with it. In Hawaii, we used a <em>hook<\/em>-on-stick contraption, and caught the falling Papayas with the free hand. But if they wanna harvest \u2018em into jars, works for me (I was at the time thinking).<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Turns out, they don\u2019t use the contraption to harvest Papayas; but rather, as I learnt walking through <em>this<\/em> village, this grape-like fruit.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/munyung.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"munyung\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/munyung_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"munyung\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">A young girl was out filling a jar up, and a man (presumably her father) appeared and told her that she\u2019d got enough of them. Luckily, he spoke English as well, and told me that the fruit is called \u201cMunyung\u201d (actually, he didn\u2019t know the English name for it), and allowed me to try one. Tastes kind of like a tart Apple, with a hint of Bell Pepper all up in there. Not bad.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">As far as, if you were wondering whether villagers love their Beerlao as much as the city-folk and tourists do: wonder no more.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/beerlaovillage.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"beerlaovillage\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/beerlaovillage_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"beerlaovillage\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Even though I didn\u2019t get to see any temples, a thoroughly enjoyable time was had on the West Side. Sitting talking with a very nice gentleman, waiting for enough riders to arrive to justify the crossing back into town; and after some time, he up and says, \u201cOkay, let\u2019s go,\u201d and begins herding everybody onto the boat. Turns out he was the Captain.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The boat-captains and bus-drivers here are just too cool.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">So, back in the city, passing by the school, and\u2026another session of Boules! Two in one day.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/boulesschool.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"boulesschool\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/boulesschool_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"boulesschool\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The citified Boules is a much more boisterous occasion that its village cousin.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\">\n<div style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;\">\t\t\t\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"City Boules 1\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;\"  src=\"https:\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/photos\/6884356795\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">A <em>most<\/em> interesting character was there viewing the game as well.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/boulesscout1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"boulesscout1\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/boulesscout1_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"boulesscout1\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">He never, for even a moment, took his eyes off the game \u2013 just watching it like a damned hawk all the whole time. I can only assume that he\u2019s a big-league scout &#8212; although I confess to sometimes lying awake at night wondering if he is in fact The Buddha, come back in disguise. Either way, I rather love him&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/boulesscout2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"boulesscout2\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/boulesscout2_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"boulesscout2\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Look for more exciting Boule footage if ever I\u2019m able to find a good Internet connection!<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">After wandering around for a while, I sat down on a bench to enjoy some bananas and watch the vendors set up their stalls for the Night Market. Was soon joined by a German couple in their early- or mid-sixties. The lady was over-the-Moon when I offered to share my bananas with them. The gentleman, not so much.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">When I announced my place of residence, I was greeted <em>not<\/em> with hosannahs to Cobain, Hendrix, and ilk; but rather total silence\u2026followed a few minutes later by the gentleman asking me, \u201c<em>What<\/em> is the name of the town you are coming from?\u201d Ha! Are we sure they\u2019re Europeans?<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">After the bananas, I turned sideways to watch a kids\u2019 soccer match being warmed up for. The &#8220;pitch&#8221; was a concrete temple-courtyard, set about ten feet below street-level. One shot on goal had a little too much loft to it, and\u2026<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201dOy! Look out!\u201d I screamed as it became clear that the yard would not hold it.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cOy!\u201d repeated the Germans in unison as it whizzed right between their heads and bounded into a vendor\u2019s stall. The vendor hid the ball under a little stool, and went on about her business.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">After a few, a boy showed up looking for the ball; but it was like a Easter-Egg hunt, as nobody would hint him off to its whereabouts. Eventually, he did catch the scent, retrieved the ball, and returned to the game; chortles of laughter trailing in his wake.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Before leaving, I went down to check out the game. These kids were balls-out, mang: barefoot on the concrete, the keepers diving for balls and <em>everything<\/em>. As far as they knew or cared, it was the god damn World Cup final.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/soccer2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"soccer\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/soccer_thumb2.jpg\" alt=\"soccer\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Standing there as night fell, watching the game and listening to the monks chanting their evening prayers inside the temple\u2026<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/monkchant.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"monkchant\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/monkchant_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"monkchant\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2026I fell in love with Luang Prabang for about the nineteen millionth time.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Returning to the guest house, only a few blocks from, an Australian girl stopped me and asked if I knew of any cheap accommodations nearby. \u201cFollow me!\u201d I told her. \u201cI brung you another customer!\u201d I told the night-time staff-person.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Got to chatting with Elisabete, my Portuguese dormmate, about how much we loved Luang Prabang and Laos in general, and that we wanted to stay and stay and stay and never leave, and so on \u2013 and done lost track of the Australian girl. I went to check, but didn\u2019t see her name on the big board. What?<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">I asked the staff-person, who informed me that she\u2019d indeed registered there, in one of the private rooms. He thanked me profusely, but didn\u2019t offer a finders\u2019 fee.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Then, another jolt of coincidence.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Before returning to the hostel, I\u2019d walked the Night Market\u2019s food alley to take in the sights and smells. Chatted a while with a very nice gentleman whom, it turned out, owns a guest house in Nong Khiaw; he\u2019s in town for some sort of tourism conference.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">He\u2019d wanted to know if I\u2019d been there, and I couldn\u2019t help gushing like a hepped-up Beatlemaniac. Yes! I love Nong Khiaw! I\u2019m telling <em>everybody<\/em> to go there.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">He wanted to give me a business card, as I&#8217;d told him I\u2019m seriously considering a return visit. He was fresh out, however, and kept telling me, \u201cLing Tong Guest House,\u201d over and over again.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cI\u2019ll remember, I\u2019ll remember,\u201d I kept responding over and over again. He opined that his guest house was a little quieter and a little cheaper than the others.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">So, later, I was trying to convince Elisabete to visit Nong Khiaw. Finally, she asked if I had any pictures of \u201cthis place\u201d. As I began to show them to her, I couldn\u2019t believe my eyes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/lin-tong.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"lin tong\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/lin-tong_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"lin tong\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cHoly shit!\u201d I wailed. \u201cThat\u2019s the guy! I just met that guy like an hour ago!\u201d Two weeks ago, a random photo-op; to-day, a fast friend. So weird!<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">This morning, Thursday, Martin, Elisabete and myself arose at 5:20 in the AM to go and see the monks. As they do in Chiang Mai, the monks go out in the pre-dawn stillness and receive alms from their city\u2019s residents.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/morning-monks1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"morning monks1\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/morning-monks1_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"morning monks1\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">It\u2019s a really big deal here \u2013 considered one of the must-see activities in any stay. There\u2019re even rules of thumb for watching the monks \u2013 to do with not getting all up in their britches, nor taking flash photography, nor otherwise causing them discomfort.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">It was a fine experience, worth doing. But nothing so Earth-shatteringly cool as one had been led to believe. A difference from Chiang Mai is that here it\u2019s the novices, rather than any full-on monks, out to receive the daily rice; and the novices don\u2019t offer a minute or two of blessings to the alms-giver (as do the monks in Chiang Mai).<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/morning-monks2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"morning monks2\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/morning-monks2_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"morning monks2\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">After the monkage, Martin and Elisabete went off in search of breakfast, while I headed to the Morning Market, which I\u2019ve wanted to see in the <em>early<\/em> morning. Dawn had risen, so I expected the Market to be wall-to-wall patronage. But hardly any customers had yet arrive; and, indeed, many of the vendors were still getting their crap all set out on display.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Soon enough, though, the market was in full thrush. Here\u2019s a nice colourful stall.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/morningmarket.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"morningmarket\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/morningmarket_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"morningmarket\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">There were as many onlookers as locals \u2013 including, I do believe, an entire bus of Japanese tourists. It\u2019s okay: gawkers can be as much fun to watch as about anything else.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/onlookers.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"onlookers\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/onlookers_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"onlookers\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Returned to the hostel for some more shut-eye, to find that my German and Portoguese dormies had beaten me to the punch. After a few more hours\u2019 sleep, and the shaving of my head, and the doing of some laundry, set out for a lazy day in town.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Wandering around some lanes I\u2019d not yet wandered, I came across a temple with Husky colours on its outside!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/huskytemple.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"huskytemple\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/huskytemple_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"huskytemple\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">At the same temple, made what I think may be an important discovery. Namely that I do believe that Dr. J will be required to abdicate his title\u2026<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/drj1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1675\" title=\"drj\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/drj1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/drj1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/drj1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/drj1-500x333.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u2026for, the Ultimate Greatest Afro Ever resides right here in Luang Prabang \u2013 being worn by none other than\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/afrobuddha.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"afrobuddha\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/afrobuddha_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"afrobuddha\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Sorry, J. Your rule was honourable, and it was true. But as all things do, it must on this day meet its end.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Later, yet <em>another<\/em> jolt. Sitting on the wall enjoying the scene on the river below, and from out of nowhere pops the goofy Russian from the dorm in Chiang Mai! The Russian-Facebook aficionado, and newly minted Sapodilla fetishist.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">He was traveling with a friend name of \u201cOlga\u201d; whom he\u2019d gone down to meet in Bangkok, before making back up through Northern Thailand, and then down to Luang Prabang via bus.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Small frickin\u2019 world, it is.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Spent much of the afternoon down at the swimming hole (one of many along this stretch of the Nam Khan). The kids were diving off the rock\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/diving.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0pt none;\" title=\"diving\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/diving_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"diving\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2026and generally having a splashingly good time.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/goodtime.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"goodtime\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/goodtime_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"goodtime\" width=\"644\" height=\"429\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">And they were right, too: so refreshing! I\u2019ve possibly spent too much time seeing the sights and drinking in the culture whilst not enough time lazing it at the swimming hole. Just possibly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Written Thursday, February The 16th, Evening] Began the day yesterday, Wednesday, picking up where\u2019d I\u2019d left off on Tuesday eve. In other words, I was yet to check out the temples on the other side of the Mekong. On the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/2012\/02\/17\/theyre-manufacturing-buddhas-theyve-got-the-perfect-thing\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1669\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}