BEGINS IN LAOS

a little girl sells me a flower bouquet to offer to the buddha before i go up the steps to wat chompet, across the mekong river from luang prabang. outside, the temple is unassuming. inside, the shrine comes alive in technicolor. i'm alone and it's pleasantly quiet on this hill. behind me are the buddha of the royal carriage house and still ahead are the buddha of pak ou caves and mount phousi. my journey up the mekong, through vietnam and cambodia, has come to an end here. the road to nirvana begins in laos. (JAN 24-27 2020)