We also went to the day market, which is mainly produce. Lots of very fresh looking fruit and vegetables, some quite unknown to us, varying meats and just about anything you would require to cook a Laos meal.
Our guide at the market
It was then down to the Mekong River, back through some of the small lanes, through some temples (the city area apparently has 32 of them), silversmiths at work and then our tour of the Traditional Art and Ethnology Centre. Our guide for this had exceptional English, and it was extremely interesting and we learnt quite a lot. We hadn't realised what a melting pot of cultures Laos is, and how many can be identified by their type of dress. Of course nowadays this is a lot harder to do as traditional dress is not worn as it once was.
Silversmiths at work
One of the local temples
Back to the Mekong River we had lunch together at a restaurant overlooking the river. Then it was time to board our tuk tuks for the trip of about 45 minutes to Kuang Si Falls. These were really beautiful, with multiple falls and pools. Our guide suggested the lowest one would be the best for us, and in we went, surprised at how cool it seemed. The Laos culture is very modest, and we were all asked to cover our upper body and upper leg areas. It was a shame to see many backpackers completely ignoring this request and strutting around in tiny bikinis, very disrespectful.
Views of the top part of the waterfall
Bottom pools
On the way back to the tuk tuks there is a bear rescue centre, and we saw quite a lot of black asiatic bears that have been rescued.
Thursday was a free day, and I think everyone was ready to get up and breakfast in their own time, and do their own thing for the day. After breakfast we put on our walking shoes, and walked and walked. Firstly we walked along the river that runs into the Mekong, surprised at how many food places were along this road. We also saw the bamboo bridge. There is a fee to cross this as apparently each wet season it is washed away and has to be rebuilt again.
Bamboo bridge in the background
We weaved our way in and out of the many quaint streets in the town, enjoying the architecture and life in this city. Loung Prabang is UNESCO Heritage Listed which is protecting its uniqueness. We had lunch at the french bakery, which was absolutely delicious. The French influence is evident in a lot of the architecture and of course some of the food.
We lined up at 1.30 when the National Museum was due to reopen. She finally strolled back to open about 1.40. The museum is in what was the Royal Palace. The palace was built in the early 1900's and is pretty much as it was when the royal family were taken and "re-educated" around the late 60's. It was quite interesting, especially the display of gifts from other countries. The visit here did prompt me to look up the history of the royal family later that night.
View from the Palace steps. We weren't allowed to take bags or cameras inside.
By this stage it was mid afternoon, and we had been to look at a massage place earlier in the day. It was one of the more expensive ones and we had opted to try it to see if it was any better than the cheap ones. I guess for starters it was air conditioned, which was an extra.
Jim chose a 90 minute "Colonel Sanders" type massage with lots o herbs and spices. I opted for a facial. The evening after we had been bike riding, Jim had talked me into a Thai foot massage. This was the longest hour of my live, accentuated by the fact I could see the clock which appeared to be not moving. I think I can still see the bruises.
By the time we got back to the hotel we had time for a shower before heading out to dinner. One of the single girls came with us. She is a little older than the young girls on the tour, so fluctuates between. We walked back to near the bamboo bridge that we had been to in the morning, and found a very nice restaurant with very reasonable prices.
Friday was another full day on the bus, and what a bus trip it was. How can I best describe it? From Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng is about 110 kilometres as the crow flies but about 220 kilometres by road. We left at 8.30 am, stopped for about 3/4 of an hour for lunch, three other very short stops and we arrived at 4.30 pm. So that 220 kilometres took around six to six and a half hours of actual driving.
Our guide told us that in the wet season there are often land slides and the trip can take ten hours. The land between is mountainous to say the least, the road narrow and windy is an understatement. It is full of pot holes and washaways and some sections are completely back to dirt. There are also many trucks travelling it, both ways. It is probably quite spectacular scenery wise, but the constant thick smoke screen limits visibility to a short distance. Our lunch stop, perched on a high point with views in all directions, we could tell would be quite breathtaking, if we could have just seen it. By this stage of the trip we were travelling on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Lunch stop. There's a great view back there somewhere
Along the way were many small villages, seemingly clinging to the edge of the road with steep drops directly behind them. Quite a lot of houses were thatched bamboo, and there seemed to be children everywhere.
The road winding through the mountains is in the haze somewhere
Around three o'clock we finally left the steep mountains and travelled through a valley. We now had many and unusual shaped limestone karst hills breaking the skyline, with fields of terraced rice paddies in the foreground.
All were happy to finally get to our destination in one piece and there was a loud cheers and claps for our excellent and careful driver.
After so long in the bus, it was good to take a walk down towards the river.
Water buffalo wallowing in the mud
Sunset view at the river
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