Luang Prabang

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A 6-hour (horrendous) bus ride north from the farm is Luang Prabang, the place every tourist and guide book recommends as a must-see.

Awakened from a long slumber brought on by decades of war and revolution, Luang Prabang has become Lao PDR’s foremost tourist showpiece. Encircled by mountains and set 700m above sea level at the confluence of the Khan and the Mekong Rivers, the city’s mix of gleaming temple roofs and crumbling French provincial and multi-ethnic inhabitants enthralls even the most jaded travelers. - Lonely Planet

Luang Prabang is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and certainly fits the bill. I’ve had a more than positive track record with Heritage sites thus far: Dubrovnik (Croatia), Cesky Krumlov (Prague), Antigua (Guatemala) and Hoi An (Vietnam) all encompass a similar magic and charm.

For those of you who aren’t familiar on World Heritage Sites, here's more info. Check out all of cool things out there in the world! About UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES

I skipped most of the tourist attractions and wondered on my own...doodling at temples, tasting local dishes at cafes along the river, reading, writing and indulging in several Thai massages ($4/hour!).

Luang Prabang Guesthouse rule # 6:
“Do not allow domestic and international tourist bring prostitute or others into your accommodation to make sex movie in our room”

darn.

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Photos

Drum Tower
Belly deep vibrations from the drums. It's a comforting sound, somehow like the call to prayer from the Muslim mosques.

Temple Detail
Glass Mosaics along the temple walls.

Overlook
Steep climb overlooking Luang Prabang and the Nam Khan River. Hot, hot, HOT, hazy and humid here.

Buddha
Another day, another Buddha

Journal page
More sketches than photos on this trip...

Comments

[eb]

ok this one made me laugh out loud..
i can't believe sex movies aren't allowed...and my other personal fave berger line, "another day, another buddha."

[leslie jane]

drum tower.
did you get a lump in your throat and start crying like my reaction to the "Harley grumble"??!

[mandy falgout]

wow....
hi sherry----so amazing to read your blogs and look at your pics. your entries are always "real" and inspire me to do more than live a life centered on myself. you rock, girl! thanks for all the wonderful thoughts and insights....