Blogs from Luang Prabang, West, Laos, Asia - page 9

I got to Danang airport early on Monday morningto find my Vietnam Airlines flight to Hanoi had been cancelled! Stress levels are rising, I have a connecting flight to Luang Prabang in Laos and can't afford to be delayed too long. Thankfully I'm booked onto another flight, leaving an hour later. Once in Hanoi I need to get from the domestic to the international terminal and the attendant I ask says I have to catch a shuttle bus, the pink one, end of information. Outside the terminal there is a pink and white bus with no driver, but from what I can understand this isn't it. Stress levels are rising higher. I hover on the pavement with other travellers needing the pink bus too. Eventually it arrives and I get to the international terminal in time ... read more

We gave alms (sticky rice) to the monks this morning beginning in the dark around 5:45a.m. and then shopped in the local market as we each searched for unfamiliar food & spices for today's lunch. The rest of the day was a traditional experience with OAT where you spend "a day in the life"........we were in Tin Keo Village visiting the elementary school. In addition, village residents welcomed us into their homes and we had a village tour along with extended conversations with the Lao Chief and the Hmong Tribe Shaman. Most of us purchased crafts from the community co-op that has been set up to help the women learn a trade and to sell their artwork to earn extra money for their family. There are two groups of people who live in this village of ... read more

LUANG PRABANG!! Ville culturelle ou l'on se sent rapidement a l'aise. En plus Durant le festival du film Asiatique c'est super. Encore de belles rencontres entre Chili, Argentine, Israel...Et enfin, un peu de temps Seule a flaner dans les rues (et a galerer pour avoir des dollars et non des Kips)... I like this city!! Very easy atmosphere around so it is like we were at home and seems to be a nice place to live.... read more

Breakfast at the resort. There is definitely a bug circulating with our group. We have lost another couple of people this morning, and the truth is that i am dealing with some gastro-intestinal issues myself. We are off on the bus for a full day of touring. On the road, I notice that national flags are everywhere, but they are always displayed in pairs: the Laotian flag and the hammer and sickle flag. Seng tells me that the law requires the flag of the communist party to always be flown with the national flag. Our first stop is Wat Xieng Thong. This is a temple and series of complementary buildings, originally constructed in 1560, that distinguish themselves by their colourful glass and ceramic mosaics, as well as stunning gold leaf-covered engravings. The morning sun catches reflections ... read more

A travel day. We're up at 6:15 am to repack and have breakfast before leaving the hotel at 7:30. An hour's drive to the Hanoi airport to catch a flight for Luang Prabang, Laos. On the bus, we are chatting with Kien. He mentions that it is his job to keep clients happy and he will do anything within reason to satisfy our needs. We tell him to find Violet a red dragon fruit. The airport is just crazy packed. We wind single-file like ants following a trail with heavy loads through the mob of wall-to-wall people. When we finally make it to the check-in counter, it strikes me that the crowds are mostly people who are there to see friends or family off or to welcome them home. I'd guess only about 10% are actually ... read more