Luang Prabang (Laos)
We really should have done our research regarding the trip from Huay Xai, even good ‘ole Wikipedia nominates the path down from the border as treacherous, poorly lit and a road that generally isn’t very well maintained. All those elements may have been true, but the thing that got me was the pedal to the metal option that the bus driver took on the way in. He must have been cranking somewhere in the 120kph bracket on a fairly ordinary road and if I wasn’t half in a daze from the prior 15hrs then I would have been a lot more concerned for our safety.
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Stealing our way into the night (how do you actually do that anyway?),JJ and I bedded down at the Somkhounmuong Guesthouse, a small, quaint and quiet little place about a 5 min walk from the main street in town. Jason and Audrey decided to stay at another guesthouse for the evening and as they say, that was about that. JJ and I only saw those two twice more before jumping a flight from KL to home, and there departure from LP was completely discourteous and full of spite, why, I don't actually know. All that I do know is that they next day they disappeared without leaving word, a note, or responding to my texts. On reflection, a selfish and pretty low thing to do. Any sort of word just to let us know what they were doing would have sufficed. Needless to say, having Jason off my back was actually a blessing.
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Stealing our way into the night (how do you actually do that anyway?),JJ and I bedded down at the Somkhounmuong Guesthouse, a small, quaint and quiet little place about a 5 min walk from the main street in town. Jason and Audrey decided to stay at another guesthouse for the evening and as they say, that was about that. JJ and I only saw those two twice more before jumping a flight from KL to home, and there departure from LP was completely discourteous and full of spite, why, I don't actually know. All that I do know is that they next day they disappeared without leaving word, a note, or responding to my texts. On reflection, a selfish and pretty low thing to do. Any sort of word just to let us know what they were doing would have sufficed. Needless to say, having Jason off my back was actually a blessing.
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The next day JJ and I had our first taste of Luang Prabang and really, our first opportunity to unwind and stay put in a place for long enough to try and absorb our surrounds. It was extremely easy to see why this place is one of the most popular and most visited town in Laos. Firstly from an architectural standpoint there was a distinct fusion between that old style French provincial, which of course dominates in certain areas of Laos, especially throughout it's 19th and 20th century heyday and that of older type traditional Lao style, with some other modern urban style in between which I can’t quite put my finger on, other than to call it typically Western. Needless to say, the town is geared specifically for tourism these days but to me that doesn’t really matter. It’s a charming place and doesn’t have the same hustle and bustle feel about it that other South East Asian towns/cities have, not that there’s a lot of hustle and bustle in Laos generally. The main streets are devoid of any real traffic other than bicycles and motorcycles, from what I remember, that’s because there was a ban that was placed on any heavy vehicles polluting the main streets with their noise, size and generally overbearing nature.
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On our first day in Luang Prabang, JJ and I pretty much just wondered the streets and did what usually comes naturally in our situation, we bar hopped. Stopping at some fairly picturesque places perched atop of the Mekong we enjoyed several cocktails during the afternoon and took in the feel that is LP. Without question it’s a magnificent place and it’s quite obvious why it became World Heritage listed by UNESCO in 1995. It has that maintained old world feel and charm whilst still allowing itself to be modern in part, oh, and there’s some great little wine bars along the way to boot.
JJ perusing the cocktail menu - overlooking the Mekong - Luang Prabang, Laos.
One of the great bars/restaurants overlooking the Mekong - Luang Prabang, Laos.
Our first day passed us by fairly quickly as it usually does when you want a day like that to slow down. In the early evening, commencing at dusk (approximately 5pm) we discovered that the main street closes down entirely to traffic and becomes an interesting night market for the next 4-5hrs. It’s not an exotic market by any stretch of the imagination, obviously its gauged to acquiring the tourist dollar but again, so what. It had that chilled, romantic air about it, and strolling through the place ever so casually was the right way to just unwind from the previous few days and attempt to get over the vehement Lao super-parasite that was still cutting a destructive path deep within the farthest reaches of my stomach and bowels.
TH Sakkarin Street - Main street of Luang Prabang, at dusk.
Another great place to have a drink! - Luang Prabang - Laos
Wondering through the night markets - Luang Prabang - Laos
