Visakha Puja

Do you know what it means? Yeah, neither did I until yesterday when I witnessed several ceremonies, celebrations, and processions all across Luang Prabang, Laos. Visakha Puja might be best translated as “Buddha Day” – a day recognizing the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing away. Celebrated by Buddhists across the globe, Visakha Puja falls on the 6^th lunar month every year and provides an opportunity for monks and other devout Buddhists to pay their respects to Buddha. At dusk, several wats (temples) are lined with candles, and call-and-response chanting sounds from the main temple. The evening of Visakha Puja, I was eating dinner opposite one of the larger wats in town and witnessed a large group of monks, locals, and a few tourists processing around the temple with candles in hand. I tried to capture this on video, but unfortunately the quality is very poor and really doesn’t reflect the magic and tranquility of the evening.

As I referenced earlier, I’m currently in Laos. Perhaps one of the most picturesque towns on the planet, Luang Prabang is postcard perfect. Really. There are few other places I’ve been with so much loveliness and appeal. The entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a testament to its historical charm. I love the guesthouse where I’m staying despite my closet-sized room, the intermittent availability of water, and the daily 4:00 a.m. drumming from the monks across the street. It might sound like I’m joking, but I’m serious – I really do like my room. It has such a happy aura to it. In fact, it may be my most favorite place I’ve stayed in Southeast Asia, although I wouldn’t mind the absence of the 4:00 a.m. drumming. The monks use big base drums outside, along with clangy cymbal-like instruments, and the noise is impossible to block out, even with the windows shut and a pillow over my head. I’m not sure what the significance of this ritual is. Maybe if I figure it out, I’ll begin to appreciate the 20 minutes of pulsating rhythmic thuds each morning.

My stay in Laos is a relatively short one – just shy of a week. I’d like to see more of the countryside, but there are so many other places still waiting to be explored, including…Singapore! Next weekend I’m headed to the land where chewing gum is outlawed (except for gum with therapeutic value…what??). I’ll only be there a very short while because Singapore is wayyy expensive compared to the rest of Southeast Asia.

One other piece of news: I’ve finally chosen a departure date that I believe I’ll actually stick to: Friday, June 19. I depart Bangkok at 6:50 a.m. and touch down in Chicago at 2:20 p.m. Wow, in just 7.5 hours I can fly half-way around the world, including a layover in Tokyo. (Not really, the 12-hour time difference throws things off.) Can’t wait to see all you back home!