Luang Prabang and the Big Brother Mouse

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Luang Prabang is a nice little town on a spot of land where the Mekong meets the Nam Khan. In 1975 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritagesite to protect the unique blend of Laotian and French colonial architecture which can be seen everywhere. It is also famous for its many temples which also have an architectural style not found anywhere else.

We stayed for three nights at Villa Luangsokxay which was nice enough but a little overpriced for what was really quite basic accommodation. It was very well located for exploring the town on foot, and we were relieved to find that the nearby noisy bars were not going to affect us as there is a curfew at 11pm. It's not really a curfew but the loud music and rowdiness has to stop. There are some places on the edge of town where you can go for a late night if you want.

Exploring the town it's easy to see why UNESCO were keen to preserve the colonial architecture. Many of the old buildings are now hotels, bars, restaurants and tour agencies but it still looks great. At one end of the main street there is a lovely night market, far removed from the crowds of Chiang Mai's version. The waterfront area is a little less salubrious in places but cafes like Saffron are turning it into an area will worth a wander. Rickety bamboo bridges cross the river in places and by paying a small toll fee you can cross over to the other side. We didn't as we did enough walking as it was!

The Royal Palace in the very centre of Luang Prabang cannot be missed really. You have to leave your bags and cameras in lockers located in a small side room, and we got told off for using our phones inside. We were not taking photos or using WhatsApp (unlike several others). No, our crime was using an electronic guide instead of paying someone! Some of the rooms are quite spectacular, especially with the mirrored mosaic in the main throne room. The giant portraits of the former King were painted by Russian artists, the only reason they survived the Communist cull of bourgeois items inside!

In the grounds of the palace is a new wat which houses the "Prabang". This is the statue of Buddha which gives the town its name. It used to be housed in a small dusty room alongside the palace but now it has its own glorious home. There is also the ballet theatre but we didn't get around to seeing a show. It's not really ballet, more costumes, culture and fairy tales told through dance.

Opposite the palace a steep stairway leads up to the wat on top of a hill with amazing panoramic views of the surrounding area. It's a hot and sticky climb but worth every bead of sweat when you get to the top.

Countless other wats can be found all over town. It is clear that the style is different to other temples in Asia. It was fascinating visiting a few of them, but we never managed to get up early enough to witness the alms parade where the town's many monks receive gifts of food from the public. It takes place at 6am!

Most people take a day trip out to some waterfalls when they visit. We were going to but then we found out about Big Brother Mouse and our plans changed. They have an office in town from where they run their campaign to promote literacy in Laos. The vast majority of people in the country have never owned a book. English conversational practice is available twice a day so they are always looking for volunteers.

They have another local project called Big Sister Mouse. A house has been built in a village a few miles out of town where Laotian children are getting a rounded education. Our role was to help the older children, high school graduates with the drive to do something with their lives, with their English. It wasn't easy but it was a very rewarding way to spend a day. As well as English, there is a big numeracy drive and it's not difficult to see why this is needed. We played some card games aimed at improving basic number skills and helped with some number puzzles. We also had an amazing local lunch and a trek up the hill at the back to see the spectacular views.

We walked ourselves to death around the town. Just the sort of preparation you need for the 9 hour bus journey on terrible roads which was to come!

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Special moments
Nice shot