The Last Shangri La

I hope to go back to Luang Prabang. In four days of an excellently guided tour of Luang Prbang,"the last Shangri La", I learned, more than anything, that there was much more to learn.
Here is a young monk. There are many monastaries filled with young men like this one. They may or may not become actual monks but are guaranteed their free education and board by joining the monastary for a few years. These monks are allowed, of course, no sex or alcohol but surprisingly can smoke and have tatoos. It is not unusual to see them swimming in the Mekong River, leaping and shrieking just like any boys in any rivers would be doing.