Luang Prabang, Laos
The final moments of the trip to Luang Prabang came just as the sun was setting on the Mekong. What a beautiful sight. As cheesy as it sounds, the landscape all around me looked just like every Vietnam war movie I had ever seen and I half expected to see Robert Duvall standing on the riverbank. From the boat we could see mountains softened by lush vegetation and big palm trees swaying in the breeze.
It had been a good two days on the water but now it was time to say goodbye to our slow boat and it’s pilot who Jim called a “man boy” because he was so little. We looked ahead for signs of Luang Prabang. Everything we’d read about the city led us to expect an idyllic old-world Laos, filled with ancient culture and unspoiled nature. I expected things there would be rural, relaxed, and very inexpensive. When at last we pulled into the dock, precious cushions under our arms, there was a steep but short hike up the riverbank into town. What awaited us what not exactly what we expected….something we were going to get used to on this trip.
The French occupied Laos for about a hundred years and left their mark there. The town (I can’t really call it a city) is filled with architecture with an old world French style. The streets were small and lined with charming shops, restaurants and guest houses.
It looked lovely although our first thought was to find lodging as it was already dark. After stopping at a few places we discovered that Luang Prabang was pretty darn expensive compared to what we were used to in Thailand, or even at the first overnight stop in Pak Beng. Starting to feel a little frustrated, we finally found a room that was absolutely beautiful with white wooden furniture, soft lighting, great bathroom, and free bicycles and mini bar!! All this for $25 US. We couldn’t believe our good fortune and we were right not to because as Jim was checking in (and I was drinking a beer from the free mini bar) he discovered that the room was actually $75 US, which is outrageous for this part of the world. We paid for the beer and left, no hard feelings on either side…just some slight embarrassment at the miscommunication. Despite any disappointment in terms of our expectations of a guest house, or a meal, or a town…we have found we can always count on the kindness of the people here. After a short time, we found another room right in the heart of town and after dropping off our bags, we went out in search of a meal.
Whatever else you might say about the French, they know how to eat. In Luang Prabang we found some culinary delights otherwise absent or ridiculously expensive in Thailand. Bread, wine, real butter, and cheese. Not to disparage the food in Thailand…it’s awesome!, but cheese and wine are not on the menu although to tell you the truth I really hadn’t missed them. In any event, we had a fine dinner that first night and the best breakfast the next morning.
Oh…and did I mention the coffee? That’s another thing the French really know how to do. So we ate well. But on that first night, Luang Prabang appeared to be a village all about catering to farangs (foreigners), at least as far as we could see. Everywhere we looked there were travelers from every part of the world, strolling down charming sidewalks, eating pricey food, and generally enjoying themselves in relative comfort. And what’s wrong with that, you might be asking yourself? Nothing really,…except it feels a little like visiting some sort of showroom where only the nice things are visible and for this experience you pay a hefty admission fee. It might be charming, and it might be pleasant, but it’s not exactly a taste of the real world.
Real or not, we slept well and got up the next morning to rent some bicycles to explore the area. Getting outside of the tourist area made a huge difference in how we perceived Luang Prabang and we rode for hours past local neighborhoods and markets, as well as the lush outlying area.
Happily peddling along , our bike tour took us around a peninsula with rivers on both sides, little streets lined with eateries and shops, groups of little school children carrying umbrellas to protect them from the sun, monks in their saffron colored robes, and the usual dogs asleep in the road and on the sidewalk.
We also visited one of the local wats which is always a treat. I found the Laotian versions to be smaller than their Thai counterparts…and have a little bit of a “cartoon” quality in the artwork…a little more color in the architecture and sculpture.
It turned out to be a full and wonderful day with real Luang Prabang revealing herself to us in due time. One of our most memorable experiences was with a small girl named Lattany. We met her outside our guest house where she tried to sell us bracelets from a little basket. People in Laos understand Thai quite well, especially if it’s spoken simply and slowly, which is just how Jim and I speak it. So we were able to have a fine conversation with little Lattany. She was a real spitfire and very smart! Using his ITouch, Jimmy taught her how to key in letters to spell out words such as… puu(crab) and apple. She picked it up very quickly and would move his hand away if he tried to help.
I drew a picture of her and she took it, adding a few more fingers. She drew a portrait of Jimmy and then two of her friends came by and joined in the party. Before we parted ways, I bought a little white woven bracelet from her basket. We had such a sweet time. Next up: the road trip from Luang Prabang to Vang Vienne.
