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Just outside Luang
Prabang, I
visited an Animist village. Animism is a very old and superstitious
religion
that predates Buddhism. |
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This little Animist girl was
slowly
grinding some corn kernels with a primitive mill. |
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These chattering Animist
ladies produce
some very bold quilted squares that you would be quite at a loss to
identify:
it looks like some modern, elegant stuff from some edgy New York
workshop. |
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Between 1357 and 1694, Laos
was Lan
Xang, The Kingdom of a Million Elephants. Today, this one was my only
encounter. |
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Back in town, it is time to
exchange
some money. The Lane Xang bank in Luang Prabang is quiet, and not
air-conditioned.
As often in Laos, there are three people doing the job that one
American
would fill. |
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At the market, I see
that the
Animist ladies are as good at driving a hard bargain as they are with
the
needle. We communicate through charades of course, including much
giggling.
And they want Dollars, not Kips. At least, they make me feel so tall. |
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The Luang Prabang night
market is a
bustling place where you can buy all kinds of snacks and eat them on
the
dark bank of the Mekong. My guidebook said, if you've seen it fry or
boil,
it's OK. And it was better than that! |
