Ghost Nation

On Reflection, The River Nam Ou between Nong Khiaw and Luang Prabang

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7 hours on a boat through some stunning scenery passes by faster than I imagine the alternative 3 hour bus journey must have. The trip was a personal highlight of Laos.

Messing about on the River Nam Ou

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River racing is a serious event in the New Year calendar in the Northern regions of Laos. Every village we passed had at least one team practising their strokes.

Smack Ma Fish Up, River Nam Ou

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Not exactly sure how this fishing technique works but it seems to involve seeing a fish then smacking the hell out of it with a big pole. That's my sort of fishing.

Pak Ou Caves, Mouth of the River Nam Ou

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Don't go here. If you have never seen a Buddha statue before and like dark holes - then this might interest you. Otherwise, its not worth the extra cost and time. Don't listen to the Lonely Planet - its really not a highlight of the area surrounding Luang Prabang and if I'd paid for a two hour trip from LP to get here I'd be really, really disappointed. As it was we got our boat from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang to stop here for half an hour so we didn't waste much time and were therefore only disappointed that we wasted the 20,000 kip entry fee.

French Colonial Luang Prabang

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This is a great town. We loved it. Its small, beautiful and has a cracking bakery. Its true that it is extremely touristy, but it seems to cope with it and the atmosphere is less tour group and more chill out.

Main Street, Luang Prabang, Laos

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OK. Its not actually called "Main Street". It does have a name and if I were bothered I'd look it up in the Lonely Planet and spell it out for you - but you don't need that information and neither do I. Just get a feeling for it from the photo.

Signpost, Luang Prabang, Laos

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Does it mean: 1. Dance like Status Quo as you cross. 2. People with CDs literally stuck in their head only. 3. Women with buns crossing. 4. Buns with women attached crossing. 5. Crossing with dancing women up ahead. 6. Status Quo member with CD stuck in skull dancing on planks ahead.

Bridge, Luang Prabang, Laos

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It's a bridge. That's all you're getting.

Kitten, Rice and Bicyle, Luang Prabang, Laos

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I really hope that kitten knows what kitty-litter smells like.

Happy New Year! Luang Prabang, Laos

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For the four or five days around New Year the streets are lined with people soaking passers by with buckets of water. There's no escaping it. If you walk outside you are going to get wet. Line your rucksacks with bin liners and prepare to be soaked! Oh, and expect to have vast quantities of talc rubbed into your face. The main targets of the water throwers are motorcyclists, cyclists and open tuk-tuks. We saw one road accident involving two cyclists hit by a large bucket of water.

Old Hospital, Luang Prabang, Laos

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This hospital is being converted into a luxury boutique hotel complex. It was used as the inspiration for a photography competition by a local charity called My Library that provides, among other things, photography and computer training to local teenagers. My Library is a part of The Language Project and hopes to become self-sufficient through the sales of students photographs. The exhibition we saw of student work was excellent. If you're visiting Luang Prabang, a visit is highly recommended. I'm not usually a charity minded person but I recommend checking out their website and gallery for photographs and information about the photographers and My Library project (link at the end of the blog).

Our Hotel, Luang Prabang, Laos

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Of course, its not really our hotel, though it's not far from it. It is the old hospital again and my entry for the Laos Through Our Eyes competition. Accommodation in Luang Prabang is expensive and frequently full. Eventually we stayed at Sok Dee guesthouse which was pretty reasonable for the price ($5 per person ensuite with air-con) however don't expect to make friends with the staff - they are the most miserable bunch of men you will meet in Laos. I walked for about an hour, visiting about 12 places before I settled on Sok Dee.

Lions and Tiger and Bears Oh My!, Tat Kuang Si, near Luang Prabang, Laos

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Ok. There were no Lions, but there were bears and there was a tiger. Next to the amazing Tat Kuang Si waterfalls is a rescue centre that looks after Asiatic Bears rescued from hunters and Phet the tiger who was rescued as a cub from bad people who wanted to eat her eyeballs or something. Phet is now 4 years old and has massive paws. I would have bought a Phet T-shirt but they didn't have any so I got a Bear Rescue Centre one instead. Its a bit cheesy I know, but having worn the same two t-shirts for 7 months it wasn't as literally cheesy as what I already owned.

Pure Pools, Tat Kuang Si, near Luang Prabang, Laos

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Beautiful blue pools and cool waterfalls make this an amazingly tranquil place to visit. Get there before noon to beat the crowds.

The Main Event, Tat Kuang Si, near Luang Prabang, Laos

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The photo does it no justice, but I had to hurry up with the shot to get it without anyone in it. Infact behind the bush to the left of the waterfall is a little fat girl who specializes in ruining good photo's.