Luang Prabang

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When we arrived in Luang Prabang after the two day boat trip, we went directly to the guesthouse to drop off our bags and take showers. There was no power in the whole town. So my first impression of Luang Prabang (a UNESCO world heritage site) was a quaint town lit by hundreds of candles. It was just after sundown and the charming restaurants were all a glow. There was something magical about it and I was disappointed when the electricity came back on (then to go off again half an hour later!) Mumtaj, Johan, David, Katie, Matt and I found ourselves a cozy place to eat. I had meatballs stuffed in bamboo and a Campari and tonic (my Auntie would be proud). We chatted and enjoyed the darkness.
The next day a few of us went to the waterfalls. I was expecting your usual cascade, beautiful but yes, another waterfall like the others you’d find in Southeast Asia. We took a sawngtaew 45 minutes and walked on a path into the forest. There was a kind of small zoo housing several black bears and a lazy tiger. We continued walking to find the first of many pools that make up the Kouang Si Falls. We jumped into the freezing water. David and Matt entertained us by doing back flips off the falls and swinging like Tarzan from the ropes on the tree. The highlight being when David didn’t let go of the rope swing, racking himself on the trunk. There was an audible “oooh” from the onlookers in the wading pool below. We caught it all on video.
We scrambled up to the next tier, even more impressive than the last. This fall made various smaller pools, each filled with turquoise water. I positioned myself under the large cascade to massage my back. The falls were becoming more breathtaking the higher we climbed. Then we reached the big kahoona, a fall that, once you reached the top looked over the whole area. We took a quick dip and made our way back to our sawngtaew. We bought a big coconut and shared it for the ride home.
When we got back to town, we strolled around the market. This is one of the best markets I have seen on my trip so far. Most of the goods being sold are handcrafts done by the tribe people of the area. They peddle colorful scarves, overstuffed slippers, bedspreads, jewelry, pillowcases, stone boxes and of course, BeerLao T-shirts.
The next day I took it easy and Mumtaj and I went the market to look for a gift for Matt’s birthday which we were planning to celebrate at Lao Lao Garden that night. We bought him a compass in the shape of a turtle, an animal which represent longevity. We met at the bar and had “two fer one” cocktails, most of which were spirits mixed with lychee or coconut juice, yum. Earlier that night, Mumtaj and I ran into Matt and Jeremy, two guys on our Gibbon Experience trip. We told them to come by the bar for Matt’s birthday, we were happy when they showed up at 11. Gibboners reunited! It was a good party and we stumbled home, all had buses or trains to catch the next day.

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Photos

Kouang Si Falls
Me in front of the big kahoona

Matt and Mumtaj modeling
This is what I call their swimmingsuit cataloge picture

Sexy Pose
Calendar girl

Coo-coo for Coconut
A fresh drink for the ride home. Take a sip and pass it 'round

Mumtaj Shopping
Browsing the crafty shops.

Luang Prabang Market
Traditional goods for sale