Last weekend was a holiday weekend in Thailand and it also marked the halfway point of our stay here in Thailand. With that as our impetus, a friend and I headed up to northern Thailand to catch a boat up the Mekong into Laos and ultimately arrive in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage City nestled between two rivers in central Laos.
We began our journey at Chiang Khong where you catch a river boat across to Huay Xai on the Laotian side of the Mekong.
We were running a day behind due to a passport mix-up, so we opted for the 1-day speedboat rather than the 2-day slowboat. Word was that the speedboat was loud,uncomfortable and unsafe but we felt that maybe that was just the work of the influential slow boat lobby. At any rate, a 2-hour rainstorm delayed us further.
After our delay, we descended a steep muddy footpath and onto a half-submerged dock to get into our (not very large) vessels.
And then, it was off onto the Mekong, zipping upriver through rainstorms that felt like darts hitting my face and hot sun, made all the more sinister when my hat zipped off my head and into the muddy waters. Still, the scenery was amazing, with low-hanging clouds mingling with lush green hills on either side of the river. Small villages and fishing skiffs also dotted the landscape.
We stopped at a small village at the halfway point for some lunch. It was here that we were first introduced to Luang Prabang sausage, which is very similar to Chiang Mai sausage. However, what set this eating experience apart was that in Laos, you can order it with a toasted baguette, thanks to the French colonial influence. Marry those with some sweet chilli sauce and you have what I believe to be my new death row last meal.
(the view from our table)
When we finally arrived in Luang Prabang, it took us about two minutes to find a coffee shop for some of its famous coffee and a cheap guesthouse in one of its traditional colonial wooden buildings. Our guesthouse was located right on the path that 400+ monks walk daily at 6AM to collect alms. Since we had been up that early the prior two mornings, one more to make merit wasn't going to kill us.
When there are this many monks, there must also be a place for them to sleep. Indeed, Luang Prabang is much like Chiang Mai in that is littered with beautiful temples (wats) everywhere.
What sets off the beauty of these wats further is the striking wooden colonial architecture (often in the form of cafes) that surrounds them as well as the ubiquitous alleyways and greenery which pervade the city.
There was also some Communist architecture in the mix.
There were also buildings covered in geckos.
We atemore Luang Prabang sausage along with SE Asia's best beer, Beer Lao Dark.
Checked out the local street market scene.
(look at the size of those larvae!)
We rented bikes and took the river ferry across to see the villages and countryside (and get terribly muddy on wet roads) on the other side of the Mekong.
(this little girl made this herself which I bought for Eliana...after that, she was our new best friend)
We climbed up Phousi Hill, to see the temple on top and see the city and its environs below.
And, finally, it was time to leave on a jet plane.
