I might have to try and come up with a new word to describe the extremes of taste and artistry which bookended this one day. I'll keep that thought in the back of my mind as I relate the story. Because to call the day's activities 'wide ranging' wouldn't even come close to conveying an almost absurd 6 hour period.
First the ridiculous: I caught a ride with a group of tourists who were arranging for a tuk tuk taxi to take them to the famous waterfall south of town. There is a fixed rate of $25 for the roundtrip fare, and that includes the driver waiting around for a few hours while his charges swim, snap photos and hike around the gorgeous park. I certainly wasn't about to pay the whole thing myself, so when I saw the group talking to a driver, I asserted myself into the mix and joined the festivities.
On the way out there, I started getting some lyrical ideas going for a 'bar song' that I wanted to create called 'Boom Boom', which is pigeon English for the 'sex act'. Some rhymes were coming to mind and I didn't have any paper, so I ripped the 'dedication page' in the Elmore Leonard novel I'm reading, and started writing a few ideas down. The driver was interested so I explained that I was writing a song called 'Boom Boom' which amused him no end. It's definitely a juvenile, ridiculous idea, but since anything goes on this trip, what the hell, see if i can come up with something that makes me laugh... which I did. I imagine a group of drunken revelers joining in on the Boom Boom line, while I offer the counterpoint and everyone laughs and jams along. Definitely dumb, but something intrigues me about it, so I continued until I wrote 3 verses and a bridge. I started playing it a bit out front of the guest house and the locals thought it was funny. I'm still not sure if it's something I'll use, but we shall see.
At 6pm, my artist friend June arrived to walk me over to this reception with the Prince, which was held at a location not too far from my Guest House. I put on some clean clothes, and was hoping that I wouldn't be too underdressed for whatever was to occur. We walked a few blocks and turned into what used to be the former hospital, but now is one of the exclusive 'Amanresorts', which are super high-end destinations for the wealthy. The suites are $1000/night, and it was a world apart.
The grounds were incredible, a large reflecting pool, a broad, lantern lit expanse with everything immaculately presented, lovely landscaping, and it was hard to believe that the bustling town was right outside the gates. You couldn't hear a thing. And here's the prince himself, dressed in a black nehru style outfit, smiling, gracious, attending to his guests (there were about thirty of them seated near the reflecting pool awaiting a performance of music and dance. He was mayb 50 years old, and his vibe was that of high culture and kindness.
At one point after the performance, he walked the two of us around the grounds showing us one of the suites, and then talking about his mission to reinvigorate the local arts and introduce a new generation of artists to the traditional art forms of the culture. It's his job, as he is the artistic coordinator for a number of the Amanresorts, including in Cambodia, Bhutan, Beijing and I can't remember tha other places that he mentioned. But he travels a lot and is dedicated to high art.
And wow, what a presentation his young charges gave us. There was a 6 piece ensemble of musicians, guys around 20 years old who played a luscious 90 minute set of traditional Laotian music on the following instruments: gamelan gongs, marimba, flute, chinese violins, hammer dulcimer (he called it 'sitar', and who's gonna argue with the prince? and hand drums. The sound was incredible, precise, haunting, jangly, alive and so evocative of this region at the crossroads. He made that point several times, how the music borrowed from India, China and the rest of the world who passed through this region.
The musicians were seated on cushions as they played different instruments, switching often. They were a tight ensemble, and it seemed effortless. They were joined by dancers for many of the pieces. The dances were very beautiful, slow paced with gorgeous hand movements, body undulations, much changing of levels and plies as they moved. It was as though we were seeing 'The King and I', with the lanterns, the dancing and the playing, as we sipped wine and enjoyed the spectacle. I was in artistic heaven.
When the music ended, we were invited to come talk to the musicians and try the instruments, so I spent a great twenty minutes going from musician to musician, asking questions, allowing them to demonstrate their techniques, taking it all in. It was a great music lesson for me as I got to experience at close range how these things work. They kept showing me the do re mi fa sol of their instruments, which was funny, because it's almost do re mi etc, but the intonation is slightly different which is part of the reason it sounds so deliciously foreigh. The musicians were uniformly kind and willing to share, and that twenty minutes was a highlight of the trip. What a world of sound!
After our little walkabout with the prince, June and I finished our wine (2 glasses, $28, Yikes!) and then walked to this great barbecue alley where there are many food vendors grilling fish, chicken, deep frying spring rolls, noodle soups etc and we grabbed some dinner back in reality. I felt incrdible gratitude for having gotten the chance to experience the high art of this region, followed by some grilled fish down the alley. Luang Prabang! Wow!
