We arrived in Vientiane, Laos, last evening after a 10.5 hour bus ride - on a VIP bus! Although it's always fun to discover the delights of a new city, Luang Prabang is still dear to our hearts. It was the kind of peaceful, quiet city that makes you want to just relax and hang out. The afternoon heat certainly reinforces that idea, and it just happens to be Bruce's idea of a good time. Even I, intrepid explorer that I am, was usually forced to retreat to the shadiest spot that we could find to wait for the slightly cooler evening air to descend - and for BeerLao time at about 5pm!
Here are some of the places that we found where we could be still, trying to exert ourselves as little as possible to reduce the sweating. The photos will also give you a flavor of the city, which I found to be a photographer's dream! Is it a coincidence that many of these places involve food?
I think that this spot with its overstuffed chairs and delicious fruit smoothies, overlooking the Mekong River, was Bruce's favorite, for obvious reasons!
This spot was called "Utopia" and it was pretty nearly that. We spent one afternoon lying propped up on cushions, reading and watching fishermen and kids in the Nam Khan River below us.
This was Bruce's most frequent afternoon locale: our own room. We used the mosquito netting for a few nights but getting tangled up in it in the middle of the night is a little annoying. After consulting with other bungalow mates, we decided that we didn't really need it. Being vigilant mosquito swatters and using the overhead fan seemed to ensure our defense against malaria and dengue fever as effectively as the netting did.
The National Palace grounds were lovely, featuring this reflecting pool filled with carp. It was a wonderful spot to sit - and reflect!
This laid back eating and hanging out venue sits on the opposite side of the small Nam Khan River. To get there, we had to cross over the river on a bamboo foot bridge, which exists only during the dry season. It gets swept away during the rainy season, necessitating the building of a new bridge each year. Once we got there, we sprawled out on cushions and treated ourselves to the most delicious "tasting" platter of LP specialities, like river weed that has been flash dried into thin sheets, similar to nori, and then topped with sesame seeds and peanuts. Yum.
The bamboo bridge made a really cool creaking sound and bounced a little as we walked on it.
We didn't get quite this relaxed but the temple compounds were quiet, gentle places to sit and just BE. Bruce is good at this. Perhaps that's why a couple of young novices approached him one day as he sat (and I roamed around with my camera). They asked him if he was interested in the Buddha. He actually was interested in THEM and their lives in the temple. They had quite a good chat there in the temple garden.
On our last day in Luang Prabang, Bruce hung out with his book here in the cafe of this weaving and natural dyeing center, also overlooking the Mekong, while I toured around to my heart's content.
There is an innocent, unspoiled quality to Luang Prabang. Despite the growing numbers of tourists who are discovering this beautiful UNESCO Heritage Site, it maintains an almost spiritual presence. I can't say that we'll return. The chore of getting there and getting out (unless by air) is a bit arduous, as we learned on our bus ride to Vientiane. That seems to assure that the tourists who do go there are either young and robust or wealthy enough to wing their way. If either of those descriptions fits you, go while it's still so lovely!
Here are some of the places that we found where we could be still, trying to exert ourselves as little as possible to reduce the sweating. The photos will also give you a flavor of the city, which I found to be a photographer's dream! Is it a coincidence that many of these places involve food?
I think that this spot with its overstuffed chairs and delicious fruit smoothies, overlooking the Mekong River, was Bruce's favorite, for obvious reasons!
This spot was called "Utopia" and it was pretty nearly that. We spent one afternoon lying propped up on cushions, reading and watching fishermen and kids in the Nam Khan River below us.
The National Palace grounds were lovely, featuring this reflecting pool filled with carp. It was a wonderful spot to sit - and reflect!
This laid back eating and hanging out venue sits on the opposite side of the small Nam Khan River. To get there, we had to cross over the river on a bamboo foot bridge, which exists only during the dry season. It gets swept away during the rainy season, necessitating the building of a new bridge each year. Once we got there, we sprawled out on cushions and treated ourselves to the most delicious "tasting" platter of LP specialities, like river weed that has been flash dried into thin sheets, similar to nori, and then topped with sesame seeds and peanuts. Yum.
The bamboo bridge made a really cool creaking sound and bounced a little as we walked on it.
We didn't get quite this relaxed but the temple compounds were quiet, gentle places to sit and just BE. Bruce is good at this. Perhaps that's why a couple of young novices approached him one day as he sat (and I roamed around with my camera). They asked him if he was interested in the Buddha. He actually was interested in THEM and their lives in the temple. They had quite a good chat there in the temple garden.
On our last day in Luang Prabang, Bruce hung out with his book here in the cafe of this weaving and natural dyeing center, also overlooking the Mekong, while I toured around to my heart's content.
There is an innocent, unspoiled quality to Luang Prabang. Despite the growing numbers of tourists who are discovering this beautiful UNESCO Heritage Site, it maintains an almost spiritual presence. I can't say that we'll return. The chore of getting there and getting out (unless by air) is a bit arduous, as we learned on our bus ride to Vientiane. That seems to assure that the tourists who do go there are either young and robust or wealthy enough to wing their way. If either of those descriptions fits you, go while it's still so lovely!
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