Mount Phou Si

In the middle of Luang Prabang is a mountain called Mount Phou Si. Apparently, all visitors to Luang Prabang should make time to climb to the top of Mount Phou Si for the view. And so we did.

At the foot of the mountain, we noticed a lady being handy with some banana leaves and a pair of scissors. We wondered what she was making.

When we saw the end product neatly arranged on a table near the flight of stairs that we were about to climb, we then understood that she was making offering wreaths.

It was a steep climb to the top and there majestically stood Wat Chom Si Temple, where we made a donation and observed the locals pay their respects.

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The vantage from the top was breathtaking - it was a full view of the entire town with the two rivers flowing on both sides of the mountain.

We took the other stairs to go down the mountain, halfway making way for a pair of Buddhist monks who swiftly manoeuvred the stairs.

Almost at the bottom of the flight of stairs, there was an elderly lady manning a little stall. We noticed little bamboo cages and as I peered, realised that there were little birds in them. We assumed that they were for the freeing of life ritual practiced by some Buddhist traditions.

We then noticed several golden statues of Buddha in different forms. 

The one form I recognised was the Reclining Buddha, also known as the Sleeping Buddha.

I noticed one part of the path had dragon tails - one black and the other silver. My first assumption was that one represented good while the other evil but I have a feeling that I am entirely mistaken. I have yet to find an answer. Someone enlighten me, please.

The best image I captured not just through my camera lens but through my own appreciation of the place was this of a monk interacting with a young child. To me, my interpretation was this: Life is about innocence and staying true to ourselves. That is how we feel at peace, just like how I felt when a smile unconsciously creeped onto my face when I stood where I was observing this pair for some time.