First things first: I have finally found the time to post pictures from our trip to Laos. Now on to Luang Prabang...
Flanked by two rivers, the Mekong and the Nam Khan, and surrounded by lush green, and sharp limestone mountains, the setting for Luang Prabang is tough to top. In 1995, the town of about 25,000 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ensuring that its historic collection of temples as well as buildings featuring colonial French architecture would be preserved. That it is a World Heritage Site, means it has become very touristy, even in the off-season (I can't imagine it during peak time), but it has managed to retain an incredible amount of charm.
Anyways, on Sunday morning, Shanti and I caught a tuk-tuk from Jacqui's house to the airport to set off for Luang Prabang. After an uneventful, but bumpy flight on a small prop plane, we arrived. Taking a pickup into town, we dropped off our stuff at a cute guesthouse recommended by a friend, and began wandering toward our lunch destination, where we planned to meet my boss and his wife (also in town on vacation). We walked down narrow side streets, not even wide enough for cars, but vibrant with shops, people, and greenery. Though we found my boss, we were unable to find the restaurant (we later found out it was closed on Sunday). We did, however, end up having a tasty, if not slightly overpriced meal at one of the restaurants right along the Mekong.
From lunch, Shanti and I set out to try to figure out what we wanted to do for the next two days. Though Luang Prabang was wonderful, it is perhaps best known as a launching off point for trekking, village stays, trips to waterfalls, etc. After much debate, we settled on a two-day trek and village stay (more on that in my next entry) and continued to wander around Luang Prabang.
We spent a little bit of time going to a couple of Luang Prabang's thirty-two wats (temples), some of which date back to the 1500s. At one of the wats, we even caught a young monk by surprise as he was doing a headstand. Before I could snap a picture though, he darted off with a sheepish smile. As the sun began to set, we headed up Phu Si, a hill that rises 300 feet above town and offers fantastic views of the surrounding area. Some 250 steps lead to the top of the hill through forest and flowers and past various temple structures. The view was indeed amazing, not only because of its sheer beauty, but because of its lush color and apparently pristine state. After Phnom Penh, it was so refreshing to be somewhere replete with natural beauty, yet also equipped with an appreciation for that beauty.
Traversing down the other side of Phu Si, we came upon the other side of Luang Prabang along the Nam Khan. It was decidedly quieter, less touristy, and more authentic feeling than the Mekong side of town. We sat for a few minutes, watching young children fish and swim in the water, and an older man shape the frame of a wooden longboat.
Heading down an alley past food stalls and families enjoying the cool early evening, we emerged in the middle of Luang Prabang's night market as it was being set up. It was so clean, organized, and spacious (both in terms of size and ease of walking down the aisles) that it made Cambodia's markets look quite deplorable. The variety of the goods available, as well as the range of colors, was simply remarkable. Because everything was so beautiful, particularly the silks, we wandered back to our guesthouse a bit slower than anticipated, but vowed not to buy anything until after a short rest and shower.
Cleaned and refreshed, we set back out for the market, which was now basking in the light of paper mache lamps and other bare bulbs under red tents. Everything was so vibrant! As we were wandering through, we stumbled upon an alley with small food stalls. We passed steaming piles of sticky rice, fresh and fried spring rolls, and a variety of soups and meats. Starving, I grabbed a few spring rolls (they were a bit greasy, but quite delicious).
Once we had collected a few gifts and souvenirs, we treated ourselves to a Lao-style massage. It was kind of an odd time to get one, about 6:30pm, but we were ready to enjoy the fact that we were on vacation. The one hour massage, $4, was incredible and we stumbled back outside somewhat disoriented and ready to go to sleep. Though we had planned on going out for a nice dinner, we were too beat from the massage. So as we left the market, we stopped at a row of sandwich shops and got one of the most delicious (and cost effective) meals of our trip: a baguette filled with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, a bit of mayonnaise, and a healthy dose of sweet chili sauce, all for just over $1. It was so good, we grabbed the same thing on our way to the airport when we left Luang Prabang two days later.
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