Beautiful Luang Prabang

---

Am now in Luang Prabang, a World Heritage listed town in the north of Laos, and I absolutely LOVE it here!

It's a small town, set amidst jungle and mountains in between the Mekong and Nam Tham rivers and is sooo gorgeous. Small streets, hardly any vehicles, beautiful old charming buildings and just the loveliest most friendly people I have ever met. Everywhere you go, the men and women smile and bow in greeting and the children laugh and wave. Noone begs or tries to sell you anything - the people are so good and gentle and geniunely want to talk to you. Another great thing about this town - it's so small you literally bump into EVERYONE all day. And I seem to know everyone in this town! Have randomly bumped into so many people I met in Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as having travelled up here with Kat, who I'd met down south. I even meet new people everyday as its the sort of place people stop and chat for no reason in the street and in cafes, so walking around town I stop and say hello to 'friends' about every half an hour - it's like being back at uni!

Luang Prabang is full of stunning temples - sooo many of them. They're all beautiful and intricately decorated, so have been to enough temples and seen more buddhas to last me a lifetime! There's also the Royal Palace Museum and a big hill (again, full of temples) to climb up for great views of the town. But the best thing about Luang Prabang is just wandering the dusty little streets, seeing the cute local houses, walking along the Mekong River, going to the markets and little shops and stumbling across hidden temples. And if you get tired - there are dozens of lovely spas to get a traditional Lao massage...for only $5 for an hour! Have already had 2 massages and a facial in the space of a few days - luxury!

Spent one morning visiting some caves (filled with yet MORE buddhas) which were not that exciting (why do I keep going to caves when I know I hate them??) but then had a lovely lazy afternoon chilling out in a lovely tea house, lying on floor mats and cushions with a pot of tea and my great new book, The Kiterunner, which I exchanged with a friend.

Have met so many people here, so spent the last 2 nights sipping cocktails with them in the few chilled out bars here. The proudest moment was, walking down the street one morning and a guy rode past on a bicycle and shouted at me - 'hey, it's the POOL PLAYER!' Have been called many things in my life, but never that (after one flukey great game of pool the night before)!

One morning, Kat and I got up at 6am to see the local people 'give alms' to the monks. It's a ritual of the locals giving sticky rice and food the monks who all parade down the street at sunrise, collecting it in golden buckets. The monks wander round town, but I have NEVER seen so many in one go! Streams of them just kept coming, dressed in their bright orange robes. Really cool.

The streets are so quiet and peaceful here, I could happily stay here a lot longer, maybe even forever!

But alas, am off tomorrow for my journey to Malaysia - but it's a long route! Am taking a slow boat up the Mekong River to the border of Thailand. And when I mean slow, I mean slow! It takes 2 days!! Am now wondering why I've chosen to sit on a hard wooden bench on a small cargo boat for 2 days, followed by a 6-hour bus ride to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, and then a flight to Malaysia.....the 'travel experience' I guess? The scenery along the river is supposed to be stunning, and have a good book so all should be good!

Luang Praang is definitely one of my favourite towns I've ever been to and will be sad in general to leave Laos - such a beautiful country in every way.

---

Photos

Our favourite vegetarian street buffet
All you can eat for 25p!

Monks collecting alms
The locals come out every morning at sunrise to give sticky rice and pray to the monks as part of religious tradition