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Published: March 2nd 2008
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Slowboat Fun
Hanging with the cool kids! We are currently in Vang Vieng, Asia's ultimate hang out spot. However as we are currently in the midst of our first day of miserable weather of the whole trip, I'll take the opportunity to write about Luang Prabang, which we departed yesterday having spent 3 nights there.
Firstly, the slowboat down the Mekong. What an experience that was! Despite the lengthy time spent sitting on very uncomfortable wooden benches, the trip was well worth it for the stunning scenery and chance to meet other travellers. The Mekong valley is like something from Jurassic Park, the rocky valley sides rise extremely steeply, giving some unbelievable panoramas - made all the more impressive by the thick jungle that clings on. Despite the long hours, passing the time was easy, sharing travel stories and tips with a variety of nationalities. The people we met on the boat we continue to bump into to this day. I'll certainly be discussing it more in my Vang Vieng blog, but as a quick mention, I think the reason so many people wax lyrical about Laos is due to the way it makes mini-communities out of travellers. Especially those who first meet on the slowboats.
The Money Shot!
Welcome to volume 2 of the money shot. This months edition sees the spotlight on the Laos kip. An interesting fact about the kip is that all the notes are the same size. So you've gotta stay alert when using them kids! As mentioned in my last blog, the boat was a 2 day affair so we had a night stop in a small town called Pakbeng. One got the impression this place existed solely as the stopoff for the slowboat. We shared a good Indian meal with some Americans, but apart from that, the stop was entirely uneventful. Although it was amusing to see several other guests at our guesthouse wake up to find their luggage had been chewed by rats!
The second slowboat day ensued much as the first, although the boat on the second day did seen slightly more comfortable. Whether this was because we had settled into a rhythm of chatting, reading and photographing or rather because we were actually aboard a different (more comfortable) boat, is up for conjecture. As a result, despite the longer hours, day 2 seemed to pass easier. Furthermore because of the sociable nature of the journey, a large group of us arranged to meet that evening once we arrived in Luang Prabang.
Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage site (one of the few in Asia), thus I was expecting a fairly quaint, civilised town. What we encountered was that
Top of the Mountain
Good views at the top of Phu Si. The scenery is good as well! ;) and more. On arrival, finding accommodation was, like all of our previous destinations, as simple as going along with one of the many guesthouse owners/tuk tuk drivers vying for business. After the somewhat ropey nature of our previous 2 nights rooms. We were delighted to be presented with a clean, large, and almost stylish room. It was to set the trend for much of Luang Prabang.
Having settled in and got our bearings, we headed to the bar the group of us had arranged to meet in earlier. Barely 20 seconds from our guesthouse we were confronted with the trendiest of wine bar type establishment. Contemporary fireplaces, glass sculptures and exotic water features all contributed to give the impression that here was a bar more suited to central London than one of the worlds poorest countries. The bars nextdoor were much the same, exhibiting trendy furniture and even trendier clientelle (when we were present).
The next day we earmarked to explore the town. Everything was in easy walking distance allowing us to get a lot covered. Luang Prabang is dominated in its center by a single, freakishly tall hill (known locally as Phu Si mountain). A top of
Posh Cafe
Could be in France! the hill is a small temple, but the main draw was the stunning views of the town and surrounding area.
Before the climb to the top we had to get something to eat. This, arguably, was the highlight of the day. Far be it from a quick snack, what we received was a cultural experience on a par with sipping coffee in Venice. Like the bars of the night before, the cafe we lunched in was positively European, with a cake selection Mr Kipling would be proud of!
When we eventually got round to it, the views from the top of the hill did not disappoint, although the climb was about as much exercise we had, had during the trip so far. We also went to the former Royal palace in the town. But decided not to go in due to the exorbitant (in Laos terms) entrance fee. The rest of the day was spent mooching around, generally getting a feel for the town. As dusk fell we encountered another highlight, the night market, which was probably the nicest market we have experienced so far.
That night we once again headed out to the trendy bars. The
Jumping in Waterfall
Got some great videos! only disappointing factor was that all businesses in Laos have to close at 11.30pm sharp, due to nationwide curfew of 12am (technically this applies to both locals and foreigners, but it is only actively enforced on the former). As we were having a good time we were glad to learn that Luang Prabang had a trick up its sleeve in terms of getting round the curfew. Due a complicated loophole, for some reason the place everyone heads to avoid the curfew is the local bowling alley. Now this was one of the most surreal places we have ever visited. Despite being set up just like a normal bowling alley, the vast majority of people in there (us included) had absolutely no intention of actually doing any bowling. It was so weird to be hanging out in a place that existed solely to get-around the law. Imagine a lock-in at Strykers and you might begin to get the idea.
Despite the late night, we were up in good time for a daytrip to Kuang Si waterfalls about an hour away. Similar to the falls we visited from Kanchanaburi, we were drawn by the promise of crystal clear plunge pools for
swimming and jumping in. We were not disappointed! The lagoons at the base of the single large waterfall were the most spectacular blue colour imaginable, and there were rope swings etc for jumping in. These falls were slightly different to the other waterfall we had visited in the sense that it was a large single fall as opposed to many small falls in a tiered formation. We braved the climb to the top and got some fantastic photographs. A definate must visit for anyone in Luang Prabang.
When we returned from the waterfall we arranged our transport to our next destination Vang Vieng (where we are now) for the next day. Therefore we had a relaxing last evening made up of watching a film (I Am Legend) in the small arthouse type bookshop and teashop opposite our guesthouse. They show movies every night at 7pm and as this particular film caught our interest we thought we would give it a try. It proved a wise decision as they showed us upstairs into an attic like room which had a big projection screen and really comfortable seats/cushions on the floor. It was an apt way to conclude our time in Luang Prabang.
Although Thailand has an immense array of temples and Buddhist architecture, Luang Prabang was refreshing in the sense that for every temple there was a Mediterranean little sidestreet. No doubt as a result of the big French influence in Laos. This was also noticeable in the cafes and bars of the town, where the service was obviously more attentive than we had been used to in Thailand. Prices in Luang Prabang were more in line with Thai standards, which catches a few people off guard, especially those expecting Laos to be super-cheap. I believe this has more to do with its heritage status, and the rest of Laos will turn out to be cheaper.
To sum it up, perhaps it was having the comforts of home, or maybe even the thought that here was somewhere you'd like to show your parents around that made Luang Prabang appeal.
Hingley out.
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