Last Day of Workshop

Today was a last official day of our photography workshop.  It always sneaks up on me.  Everyone has become comfortable with each other and then we have to save goodbye.  Some of us will stay in contact and plan visits outside of future photography trips.  Others we’ll keep up with on social media getting to experience their future trips through their photography.  I’m always sad when we get to this point.

This morning we took tuk tuks to Kuangi Si Falls a short distance outside of Luang Prabang.  We parked in a village that was taking advantage of the tourists visiting this popular site.  Before arriving at the falls on the hiking trail, you pass through a bear preserve.  There are 38 bears housed in the facility which protects them from poachers that sell their bile to the Chinese for male virility.  The Australians helped fund the center.

The falls are different than others I’ve visited with blue pools at the base of progressively steeper falls.  It was hard not to get fixated on the first falls we came to they were so beautiful.  However, we did move up the trail to the next stopping spot.  Ira encouraged us to hurry up to the big falls before we had to depart.  Wow!  It was extremely wondrous and well worth the hike.  Liza extended our departure so we had the opportunity to get all the photos we wanted.

We had a few minutes in the village before our return trip.  There were lots of vendors preparing food for the lunchtime crowd soon to descend on the falls.  All sorts meats were being grilled over open fires and it really looked delicious.  The popcorn we bought for a snack on the ride back was every bit as good as anything we have at home.

We had time before our final class for lunch and picture picking.  I actually took the opportunity for a quick nap!  Our final class was back at the weaving center.  Ira was being brutally honest today, expecting us to have kicked up our game after a week of instruction.  He also encouraged us to keep challenging ourselves when we return home to keep our skills up.  I’m sure I have some camera gear I’ll need to purchase;)

After a couple of hours free, we returned to the weaving center for our final slideshow.  While we were in class with Liza and Ira, Ari worked with the kids at the Library.  They were invited to our class to watch our work and also to show off what they had learned.  There were some pretty great photographers in their group.  They also awarded the winners of a photo contest that Liza and Ari sponsor.  One girl won the novice category and received her own camera.  You would have thought she’d won an Academy Award the way her face was beaming.  What a wonderful program they are running for those kids.

We had our final dinner at 3 Nagas, a restaurant near our hotel.  Farewells were said since many will depart in the morning.  We still have a couple of nights before our departure.  Again, another wonderful workshop thanks to Liza and Ira.

Tomorrow: A day to relax