Back to French-era Laos

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Luang Prabang is probably the nicest place I've been to so far in Laos. It has this nice ambient and I felt as tho I've been teleported back to 50s or something. And this is also the place I tasted my first Lao beer, which happens to be the finest in Asia (or was it SEA?).

Everything is much cheaper here as well. We found a room for USD3 shared by two. But we almost started a fight with some Europeans coz it was filling up really quickly. We also found this night market where they serve vegan buffet for 50c per plate...and you can scoop as much food as you like. Oh... it's making me hungry !!

LP is also a really nice place to walk around. A walk in the morning market and u pretty much have an idea of the northern Lao diet. The food they sell in the market didnt really have a nice presentation I must admit... nor was it appetizing. I was quite surprise to see so many funerals that day. There were 3 funerals and a wedding (later that nite). So, there was the dead person lying on the ground in the common room, and then heaps of pple gathering outside the house feasting, building a coffin from scratch, making offerings but no one seemed to be mourning. It was more like a celebration.

We headed for the Kuang Si Falls in the PM. I almost died of suffocation on the way there as the unpaved road was so bad that everytime a vehicle rode pass, the vis is reduced to critical level by dust and dirt. No wonder our faces easily get coated with a thick layer of facial mask. But it was all worth it, the multitiered falls with turquoise blue water is so dramatic it made my heart sink. But I wasnt sure if the water was chlorinated or was it algae bloom. I met a group of friendly Lao picnicking at the falls, and they invited me for Lao beer n snacks. I think I got a bit tipsy after that. Me being so clumsy, I tripped while walking and my flip-flop gave way...had to walk barefoot until I got back to the guest house. We stopped by a village inhabited by the Hmong hilltribe. The children were so adorable but cud see they've lived a hard life. Kids below the age of 5 were selling handicrafts and stuff, and the only English they speak is "5000kip OK?"

Really like this town. So sad that we didnt have more time to spend here.

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