Luang Prabang (pt I)

Around 6AM, hundreds of monks from area temples walk through the city of Luang Prabang to receive alms like sticky rice, bananas, and other offerings. It's a Buddhist tradition that Laos still continues. This daily affair has become a tourist attraction. The morning I went, a group of monks pulled up in a tuk tuk and proceeded to give alms to the monks walking along the street. Tourists started picking up on this, and soon there was a paparazzi swarm taking photos of the monks giving to the monks. It was bizarre. The monks went on along their business pretending nothing unusual was happening. From what I've read, there is monk paparazzi every morning. It seemed to turn a Buddhist tradition into a tourist attraction. Something about it made me feel uneasy, but I still enjoyed taking a part in a deep embedded tradition.

Check out that monk paparazzi