Ruminations upon Sunday April 6, 2025 until Monday April 7, 2025 in Luang Prabang, Laos
The flight to Luang Prabang, Laos from Hanoi is short and sweet. We landed at night and in the rain. Luang Prabang is almost entirely cash-based, so before we could even leave the airport, we found ourselves at the ATM withdrawing enough to cover our driver and villa. Our driver was very nice and gave me his number so we could use him again.
About an hour after landing we arrived at our villa, well past the boys’ bedtime. It was lovely with plenty of space and giant beds. The only drawback was the boys’ sleeping area, which felt like a sauna the moment we stepped inside. Matanel ended up sleeping on me, which meant I did not sleep. But I did get to shower, finally!
Chaim got the kids moving so I could try to sleep or rest in the morning. We finally got moving around 11:00AM. Eitan was still in a lot of pain from his road rash and hangry after refusing the breakfast options we had on hand. To be fair, we didn’t have anything he wanted. We’re still learning to eat what’s available because we eat to live not live to eat.
It was ridiculously hot and humid, and we climbed Mount Phousi in the heat of the day. In hindsight, climbing in the midday heat was a terrible idea, yet somehow still lovely. Plus, it was on Shai’s recommended to do list so of course we had to do it.
Mount Phousi is about 328 feet high. Wat Chomsi is located at its peak and monks actively maintain the sacred site. Visitors climb 355 steps to summit where they can enjoy 360-degree panoramic views of Luang Prabang, the Mekong River, and surrounding mountains. The view is beautiful and serene.
On our climb up, we came across an elderly man sitting with two to four small sparrows confined in tiny cages. My first thought was, “tourist trap”, but the boys were already inching closer, wide-eyed. We learned that the Buddhists believe it is good luck to set animals free. Later research explained that this is called merit-making through the act of life- or merit-release because one is acting against the negative behavior of the trapper.
The boys and I couldn’t bear to see the birds caged up, especially in the heat. We asked if we could free the birds. He charged us 50,000 kip for one cage. This was equivalent to $2.31 and wasn’t going to break our bank.
The boys eagerly took turns widening the bars so the birds could fly out. They were ready to free all of the birds and begged me to buy another cage. After our eighth cage, the man refused to sell us another, even pulling the remaining ones out of sight. The boys were stunned; their merit-making streak cut short by the person who created the problem in the first place. Eitan wondered, “Wouldn’t it be better not to cage them at all?” Disappointed we couldn’t continue our efforts, we continued on our way.
Halfway up, Eitan stopped climbing. I was not about to halt everyone’s (okay, really just my plan) to reach the top. I wanted to see those 360-degree views. Thankfully, the other boys were happy to continue climbing. We left Eitan sitting in a shaded area and climbed onward.
By the time we reached the top, everyone was so hot the boys couldn’t fathom staying long enough to truly appreciate the views. They ran down to join Eitan unaware that we were on a one-way path. I took my time enjoying the views and then returned to inform them they would need to climb again to get down. Everyone was briefly annoyed at me, but the intricate sculptures of dragons and buddhas that we found along the way almost made them forget why.
When we reached the bottom we walked back to the main drag and right into Gelato del Lao where we ordered sorbet. It was refreshingly delicious and a lovely place to sit and relax after a long, hot, climb.
After cooling off for a little bit, we ventured down the road to the National Museum – another Shai recommendation. The boys were so excited when we ran into Chaim who was out for a quick walking break during his workday. Eventually, they let him go and we entered the museum.
The National Museum was once the Royal Palace of Laos. It has a few buildings that house a theater, small car museum, a temple, and royal home. The boys enjoyed walking through the buildings and seeing old cars. In the royal home, several short essays are written and framed on the wall that tell the story of the Ramayana, which they learned about in India and is a part of Lao culture, too.
It was neat to see them realize just how far spread Hinduism and Buddhism spread beyond India. We also learned about Lao creation mythologies that tell of a brother, sister, and a flood. They exclaimed how similar this story was to the biblical story of Noah.
Eventually, we walked home. The boys rested, had a bit of screentime, and then cleaned up. Shai spent the afternoon announcing, “Shai at your service!” Adorable, right up until he melted down when we asked one of his brothers to help instead. The emotional logic of an eight-year-old never disappoints.
Chaim took them to a live theater show retelling Lao mythology. While they were out, I scoured stores for food. Eggs, fruits, and veggies were not sold in the main supermarket, so it took several stops to find what I needed. Surprisingly, I did find a lot of snacks with hekhshers/symbols designated kosher status on them.
In India and Vietnam, I noted that I was having a challenging time remaining hydrated in places without potable water. I had a tendency to not drink much from our water bottles while we were out so that the boys would have enough. My body was starting to rebel so I made sure to stock up on potable water, too, even though I wished I didn’t have to for the environment.
I was thrilled when I saw bug repellent in the store and bought OFF for the first time since July. The boys were being eaten alive by mosquitos, especially Eitan who had already received five giant bites on his back, three on his arms, one on his foot, and one on his cheek since arriving the night before. The one on his cheek was so swollen it made him look like he had another dental abscess like he had back in October. The poor kid can’t catch a break!
Dinner was tuna croquettes, pan fried tuna, and spaghetti. I couldn’t find lemons or limes during my outing, so Eitan refused to eat again. If he keeps this up, it will become a problem. Not to mention, bedtime was becoming a problem for the twins, too. Shai and Matanel had started playing the “But I’m SO hungry” game right before bedtime and were struggling to fall asleep the last few nights.
After scavenging for food and trying to make a dinner everyone would eat, I was too tired to fight. Matanel ended up in my bed where I hoped he’d sleep better. When he’s not impersonating a bed monster, he’s really a wonderful cuddle buddy.
As I finally crawled into bed, I found myself thinking about all the refusals that shaped our day: Eitan refusing to eat and climb, the boys refusing to stop freeing birds, the vendor refusing to sell us more cages, and even my own quiet refusal to let exhaustion swallow the experience whole. It reminded me that refusal isn’t just resistance; it has the potential to be the beginning of figuring things out.
