Lazing in Luang Prabang

With Beth still a little shakey on her feet, we caught the early bus to Luang Prabang. There was no aircon but they showed us how to open the windows. There was no toilet but they gave us a bottle of water and we certainly didn't want to ask what to do with the empty bottle. It didn't quite meet the brochure but we had lots of space to spread out so we weren't complaining. Not long outside Vientiane however, we stopped to load 280 stools, 14 tables, 3 shelving units and 8 arm chairs to the roof and back of the bus. Space was now an issue. An uncomfortable 12-hour journey insued where we were subjected to Laos music at volumes that could (and almost did) burst ear drums and Steve threw up out the window several times.

The grim journey was worth it though as Luang Prabang was truly beautiful and a surprising contrast to the dusty blandness of Vientiane. The Lonely Planet walking tour took us pretty much from centre to river to finally hill where we climbed 200m to an ancient Wat and wonderful views over the town and its unspoilt surroundings. It is easy to see why Luang Prabang has been awarded UNESCO world heritage status as it combines a wonderful sense of history with charming streets and gorgeous buildings that are very reminiscent of rural France.

We took a day trip to visit Pak Ou caves tucked into the side of mountains and containing thousands of rather eerie Buddha's jostling for position in the dark with the bats. In the afternoon we saw the Kuang Si waterfalls, majestically cascading over four layers of rock and definately worthy of the steep hike to the top and perilous descent for the reward of an ice cold plunge. In between the sights we visited villages and saw handmade paper sprinkled liberally with pressed flowers being made and expertly crafted into hanging lanterns which dangled and waved merrily in the wind - almost as merrily as their creators. A kalaidoscope of coloured scarves lined the roadside stalls run by women weaving and men brewing the potent rice whisky (Lao Lao).

We were quite happy to spend the evenings in Luang Prabang mirroring the Laos people's pace of life and passed the time by sitting in the market eating street food and swapping stories with other travellers content with a cold beer Laos and good conversation. The night market offered further distraction as we strolled through what seemed like a mile of street vendors hawking their wares beneath hundreds of flurescent bulbs and the eager eyes of the visitors. On the final evening in Luang Prabang we watched the sun setting over the river Mekong and fervently wished we had longer to spend in one of the most beautiful towns we have ever seen.