We started off today with a bike ride through the streets of Luang Prabang. We rode single file and were handed bottles of water at each stop, the first of which was a large temple. There were several statues of Buddha made of gold in massive ancient buildings, one of which also housed a seat designed for the king, to be carried by 60-80 of his servants, due to its massive size and large amount of heavy components such as gold.
After that, we rode to visit a silk workshop, where we could watch the silk be made and also buy some. We also got to see decorative paper be made, where the workers placed various leaves and flowers inside during its creation.
During the ride, we were mostly on roads directly next to the Mekong river, which was the foreground to some beautiful far off mountains. The roads were relatively calm, so we got plenty of opportunity to look over as we rode past. At one point during the ride, we came to a special red bridge designed for bikes and motorcycles. It had two parallel rows of wooden planks, each relatively thick, designed for those riding across to go on.
Later in the day, we were placed into five groups and had an adventure race. Each group was given four hundred thousand kip, the equivalent of around $67 AUD. Along the way, we visited markets, temples, mountains, and rode in tuk tuks, finding the answers to questions and taking photos to prove our journey was our own. At the end of it, we took a final photo on the beach and met the teachers in a cafe. Our time was recorded, along with our leftover money. As this is being typed, the total point values are being added up to determine the winner, who will receive a prize along with the runner-up. During the race, one of the challenges involved visiting a postcard shop and buying postcards and stamps, which we then all wrote letters on to be sent back to Australia. While we will likely return to Australia before the cards arrive, it will be a nice reminder of our trip once we get back.
During dinner, we visited a nearby restaurant and were treated to songs and dance from some local performers. The event was held in our honour and it was a unique experience to be able to make connections with local people through traditional music. We also all received bands around each wrist, which we are meant to keep on for seven days and are supposed to bring each one of us good luck. There was singing, dancing, and music playing all throughout dinner, and many students participated in the festivities. Overall, today was an excellent day, and a prime example of what The Big Experience is all about.
Tom Chapman and Dean Maccora
