UGLY TRUTH Luang Prabang Alms Ceremony

We're trapped in our hotel.

How do we get out?

Okay.

She better let us be.

I'm pretty sure the guy sleeping in our hotel lobby did not appreciate that. It's a little chilly this morning. Are you excited about this?

Yeah.

You're doing better. Never mind. We got up early to see the giving of the alms ceremony. It's where all of the monks. I don't want to say, parade down the street where all of the monks walk down the street while people from the city give them food for their day. It's a way for the monks to get food and also for the people who are Buddhist to, from what I understand, earn good karma by giving things to the monks. I've read a lot about this online, and it seems like it could be a sunrise at Angkor Wat situation.

Where it's a really good thing that's been split, spoiled by tourists, and we could be seeing way too many people way too early in the morning.

We'll see. I've also heard that a lot of tourists are really rude to the monks, trying to get good shots with their camera. So if there aren't any artsy shots in this vlog, we're gonna keep a nice respectful distance. Also, there's not supposed to be any. Any talking this morning. Can you handle that?

I didn't know that. Yeah, I'm probably into that.

Kara doesn't talk too much this early in the morning anyway. Let's go.

Also, in all my research, I couldn't exactly figure out where it was. So we're just gonna walk the streets until we see em. We found it. Those chairs are where all the people sit to give the monks rice carrot. Good job. It appears as though we beat the monks and everybody else. I read 5:30 on the Internet. It's like 5:55. We also read.

That a lot of people sell sticky rice and you can actually go sit in the line and give to the monks.

But that that causes a lot of problems. So we're not going to contribute to the problem. We're just gonna sit back a comfortable distance video with our camera and probably whisper a little bit.

We've just made it to one of the main temples. Seems to be a lot more touristy here.

Everybody's talking.

All of these people are tourists. I have not seen one local person.

I see some monks. I think it's starting.

These people are part of the problem.

This guy.

The problem is growing.

Kara's not amused. Currently feeling a little anchor wattish.

I read on TripAdvisor described this experience as sickening. And I like kind of agree. I mean, it's really sad how many people are just like right up on them taking pictures.

I understand that, like we're contributing to the problem in like a very small way just because we showed up.

But it's totally different to sit on the other side of the road and be respectful versus sticking your camera in the monk's face as they walk by. I think we're gonna call this like the ugly truth. I feel like a lot of people that come get like one good picture that doesn't have any people in it. And that's probably what they post. And this is video and you can really see what it's like. I've heard that maybe on the side street there's some more authentic giving of the alms instead of just the big parade that you goes down the main street.

Yeah, I don't think I saw any loud people.

No, it was all tourists just getting.

The monks food, which, I mean, the monks are getting more food.

Yeah.

So maybe they don't dislike it, but the guy, if he had his iPhone that close to my face, he knocked.

It out of his hands to get food.

That would not be at all okay.

It was exactly like Angkor Wat. Everybody wanted like that perfect shot. You got up super early to go see the monks, except instead of like fighting each other to get a picture of this stone tower, you were fighting each other to get closer to more people.

Which makes it a lot more awkward.

And we're not Buddhist.

We'Re Christians. But it still just bothers me that people.

Just are so selfish.

The side streets are definitely where the most more authentic giving of the onset. And this is probably more of what it's really like. There's like two ladies sitting there and then further up the street there's a couple more ladies. That's probably what it was like before the tourists got here. We're going back to go to sleep. We didn't get very much last night.

Plan to walk down the road and get Kara and I coffee at that little coffee stand because yesterday they were giving away free croissants. Nobody was there. Plan B. I have no clue what that is. Apparently 10am is not a popular time for people to order iced coffee. I've walked all over town and not a single one of the stands is open. I'm returning home empty handed. This is not a good idea. She rejected me, sent me back out to buy more coffee. I have successfully returned this time. Are you dressed? Ish? No, not at all.

Here you go.

Thank you.

There's a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, actually. Just a lot of sweat.

We are about to start our hike to the temple over 300 stairs. Cara is pumped, but first we have to do a little carbo loading and get one of the pretzels that we saw earlier. Actually, I just want a pretzel, and I've never had Scandinavian food before.

Are pretzels Scandinavian?

I don't know.

That's not Scandinavian. Do you have any pretzels? No pretzels.

Why would you have a pretzel pretzel on your bag if you don't sell pretzels?

And on your sign and on your sign and on this side, right here.

And on this side.

Very misleading. Scandinavian.

I was wanting, like, a big ballpark Scandinavian. Brett. Kara, this is the best attitude that I've seen you have on steps in a while.

I think I did a better job of mentally preparing you for this one.

I got these because I thought Kara would be really excited. Let's see.

I figure we can take them home as pets. Is that what you're supposed to do with them?

Golly.

I'm sorry, little birds.

Would you like me to help? Look, they're trying to get out. Just open the hole up for. I bet they will.

Come on.

Jump out. I bet if you point the hole away from me, they would be more likely to fly.

They cannot. Oh, he got out.

Oh, come on.

This one.

Yay.

I was hoping we could do this in, like, a little bit more picturesque location, but this is real life. This is our cheap guest house, so we're gonna do it here.

We also went to do this a super long time ago. Sorry about that. Nate put all of these names in his croissant bag from breakfast this morning. We had over 2020. I think 29 people shared on Facebook. And we just. Thank you so much for doing that. So now we get to figure out who gets this super cute elephant postcard.

Drumroll.

Oh, I think I spit on the camera.

I can't spit on your mouth. Okay, I have one.

Sarah Madusky.

You get this super cute postcard.

How does she get it?

Oh, we have to get your address. Send us your address on Facebook.

We don't even have a Facebook.

Well, I'm friends with her on Facebook.

Okay.

Thank you for sharing our vlog, and thank you for watching us. Can't wait to give this to you.

What's next?

And.

This is raw, uncut, cut a few times, and unfiltered.

This is our newest super cute postcard and it has a very special surprise inside.

We have big time stepped up our postcard game. This is hand drawn so if you.

Would like a postcard from Laos, we want you to wanted to do.

We're not doing Facebook. Follow us on Instagram for a chance.

To win this awesome postcard from Lau, Kara and Nate. All spelled out 13. Find us on Instagram. Follow us. You get the super cute card. We'll put your name in some sort of bag that Nate ate his breakfast out of and you'll get a really cute postcard for your fridge.

This is gonna be the longest video ever.

Just. Kara, stop. I just can't help myself when I see a tree like this. I just have to do this. This shot.

The tree's thin.

Ah. This terrible spot. This. There's something stuck inside of our camera lens that's making this spot and I don't know how to clean it.