本地人篤信佛教，每天來布施一些簡單的米飯和水果，好一點的還有甜點。他們靜靜地坐在路邊，誠心地給出一份份心意。
第二天走到大街時，路邊已跪了一整排人，肩並肩排的緊緊的。是觀光團集體來布施的。其他風聞而來的還有一堆小孩和乞丐，是來向和尚化緣（還是分贓？）的。因為布施的人實在太多，和尚的容器很快就裝滿了，有些和尚就順手給那些小孩和乞丐。這時布施的東西都進那容器，餅干，水果，米飯，甚至鈔票。旁邊的觀光客像狗仔隊一樣拼命照相，我也不例外。直到和尚和食物都沒了，觀光客也上車走了。米筒，圍巾和坐墊等人來收，這場化緣才算結束。實在沒有我想像中那麼祥和寧靜。(當然我本人也是造成問題的原因之一。）
離開的那個早晨是雨天，去機場的車上看到和尚們打傘出來化緣。冷清的路邊沒幾個人。我想那天只有本地虔誠的教徒才會出來布施吧。化緣也讓和尚體會到真實人生的冷暖。
Since I have enough dose of the Buddhist temples in several trips to Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, my first priority in Luang Probang then was narrowed down to see the famous morning alms of the monks.
After checking in the guest house, we found the morning alms route is right outside. Stepping out and we get to see the monks walk by. Two minutes away is the main street with more monks passing. Early next morning, before the brain even start functioning, my friends went over to the corner and kneed down, get ready for the alms giving. Some local lady passed along some banana and steam rice, and they were in business of giving to the steadily coming monks. Until the monks stop coming, nobody thought about how their donations was supplied... Then the local lady started counting the number of empty trays, obviously someone got to pay for that.
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| This old gentleman came alms giving everyday 這位老先生每天都來 |
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| She's well stocked, with banana, steamed rice, sweet rice, and cookies 她有備而來 |
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| Local people routinely donated to the monks 本地人篤信佛教，經常布施 |
Next day, I walked to the main street, surprised to find big crowd of people lined up all ready to give alms. That's the attack of the big bus tourists! Obviously some more people learned the news too, kids and beggars also came along, asking for hand out from the monks. Of course, tourist like me went berserk seeing this feeding frenzy. （That's how we became part of the problem...)
The day we leave Luang Probang was a raining day, when the shuttle to the airport pull out of the hotel, I saw some monks holding umbrella doing the route. That day only the diehard Buddhist would be out to provide the monks.
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| 連圍巾都是旅行社提供的 |
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| This lady has a stack of brand new bill, she prays before each give away 這位小姐有一疊嶄新鈔票，每給一張都要念一點經才給出手 |
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| Money is mixing with steamed rice and banana, all go into the big bowl 鈔票和白飯香蕉都放在一起 |
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| Supply will be more than demand today, so the kids will get freebies 今天會收到很多食物，所以小孩也來要分 |
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| When the monk's bowl is full, something will go to the kid's basket, so he can take in more goodies 給出去才有空間收其他東西 |
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| Taker becomes giver 收東西的人變成給東西的人 |
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| A whole army of takers and givers 今天真熱鬧 |
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| Finished, all the tourists, and food, are gone. 觀光客一走了之 |
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| Check out the haul 檢查收到什麼東西 |
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| Redistribute the goodies. 坐地分贓 |
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| Monks bathing in Mekong River 和尚們在湄公河畔洗澡 |
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