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Hello to Vietnam...again!

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Good-bye to Luang Prabang!

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Farewell to Laos

We left Luang Prabang yesterday afternoon. Of course it was a perfectly sunny day and we wished we could have enjoyed the pool one more time. It is a little, rather grubby airport, and the washroom was disgusting! Why is that allowed?

Anyway... our flight was scheduled to leave at 5:10 pm with boarding to commence at 4:40 pm. Announcement of a flight to Bangkok at a different gate but we noticed our gate was open too, even though it was only 4:10 pm. A few people walked over to check, ourselves included, they took our boarding passes and we walked out...onto the runway. Nobody there to check on things so we wandered around looking for our plane. Somebody said “that one has stairs” so we walked over and climbed aboard - yup, that was our plane! People straggled on and next thing you know we took off, half an hour early! What a crazy place!

Landing back in Hanoi was like jumping back into the 21st Century! Paved expressway, kaleidoscope lights on the new “Rainbow Bridge”, modern buildings, and MOTORBIKES!!!

We’re only here 1 night and then we begin the marathon back to Canada - we arrive in Victoria 2 hours BEFORE we leave Taipei! How does that work?

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Our last Beer Lao.

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Where there’s a mud puddle there will be kids!

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Bamboo Garden Restaurant.

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“Pop khan mai, Laos”

That means “see you later.”

Yesterday was our last full day in Luang Prabang. We woke up to a thunderous rain storm with peal after peal of thunder! We walked down to the old quarter for coffee (and something chocolate, of course) and planned to stroll along the river. No way! The rain started up again in earnest and we quickly made our way back to the hotel.

Our guide, Xai, had recommended another restaurant for dinner - Bamboo something. We found it on Trip Advisor, Bamboo Garden. We wandered about a bit looking for it as there was some conflicting information on line. Finally we went down this muddy back alley, fresh sewer smells wafting up, and there it was, Bamboo Garden. There were no other customers, just a few tables over which tarps were stretched. No kitchen area, just a charcoal burner and a couple of old pots. We ordered a couple of dishes, all the while thinking “our guide recommended this, it must be ok!” It was okay but we both felt a little queasy as we left - the sewer smell didn’t help! Checked Trip Advisor when we got back to the hotel and realized it was the “Bamboo TREE” we should have gone to!

We both woke up this morning having survived the night, not too much worse for wear! It’s like Russian Roulette - you never know when the “bad food bullet” will get you!

Now we’re all packed and waiting at our hotel for our ride to the airport. We fly to Hanoi at 5 pm, then home to BC the next day.

Pop khan mai!

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The bamboo bridge.

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Old quarter of Luang Prabang.

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Luang Prabang Day #3, or maybe #4 - I’m losing track!

Our first free day here. A leisurely breakfast then a leisurely stroll down into the old quarter. Stopped for coffee and a chocolate croissant at Joma Coffee - called the Starbucks of Laos. It’s owned by a Canadian (we think from Nova Scotia). Then we wandered along, browsing the various stores and stalls along the way, with Blair muttering “crap, crap, crap!” Lots of things are totally non-authentic; cheap imports from Thailand and China!

There is a seasonal bamboo bridge that crosses the Nam Khan. It washes away during the rainy season and they rebuild it again each year. We teetered across to enjoy a Beer Lao at a little cafe overlooking the river. It’s decked out with pillowed lounging platforms and there were some characters there who looked like they’d been lounging since the ‘70s!

We wandered through the night market in the evening. It was packed with tourists and went on for block after block. Again we found lots of cheap imported goods but it was still lively, crowded and fun to see and hear the bargaining going on.

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Making mulberry paper.

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Wat Xiengthong - “the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang.”

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View of Luang Prabang from Mount Phu Si.

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Pickled eggs - in the shell!

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The morning alms ceremony.

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Luang Prabang Day #3

We were up st the crack of dawn (5 am) to witness the alms collecting ceremony. It’s where all the monks from the local temples, donned in their orange robes, walk through the streets collecting food (usually rice and fruit) from the local people. This then becomes their food for the day. Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? What it actually is: monks from the local temples walk through a gauntlet of tourists with cameras flashing, collecting food (including bags of chips) from local people and tourists alike. Locals sell day old ( or even older) food to the tourists to give to the monks and much is just thrown out! We stood back across the street rather than participate but even then it was hard to get photos - really, there were hundreds of tourists, some even taking selfies as they dropped handfuls of rice into the monks’ bowls.

We walked through the early morning market on our way back to our car. The market was full of the usual delightful oddities! A quick breakfast back at the hotel and then out we went for a city tour.

We first went to the former Royal Palace, now a museum. It’s not that old but there were some spectacular mosaics and wall murals. Stepping forward to look at something I stubbed my toe and almost knocked over a “royal display case” Can you imagine the international incident that would have created!

We climbed up Mount Phou Si to see the stupa and look at the glorious view of Luang Prabang and the Mekong River below us. Locals sell birds in tiny cages that you carry to the top to set free as you wish for good luck. Then the poor things are trapped and resold over and over until they die of shock!

We went to the Ethnology Museum and several temples. You can tell we’re almost “templed out.” I can’t remember their names and I don’t want to even look them up. I remember lots of images of Buddha being there! Then we drove out of town to watch them make paper from the bark of mulberry trees. One last temple before the day’s tour was over. The “most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang” said our guide. How could we say no? It was beautiful, that’s for sure, with dark red walls covered with golden murals and inscriptions.

Home for lunch which consisted of coke/sprite and Pringles by the pool - our go-to snack! We were too tired after the heat of this day to venture out of the hotel for dinner. We have 2 free days now to explore Luang Prabang on our own.

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Koang Si Waterfalls.