Laos experience

Lying at the confluence of two rivers, with a green hill overlooking temples and a peninsula recognized UNESCO World Heritage ...Does it sound familiar?

That charming city is called Luang Prabang. It is the former capital city of Laos. It has both exotic and very very peaceful feel to it. From 4 o'clock in the morning, the drum and cymbals echoe waking the city-dwellers up. The sounds make roofs of the temple seem more sacred and shimmering in the early morning's sunshine. Then files of monks dress in orange and saffron robes start their procession throughout street of Luang Prabang. They travel across each house to take the offering that have been well-prepared by local people with great respect and care. Perhaps nowhere in the world other than Luang Prabang is this ritual still practiced.

There are 66 temples in this historical town of 26000 inhabitants, 32 of which are inhabited by monk congregation. They participate in conservation of temples, Budda statues, and possesions of the temple like interior.

The most remarkable thing about this ancient city is the pure tranquility. During one week's stay in Luang Prabang, I had get rid of all the hustle and bustle of modern life to lose myself in a heavenly peaceful ambience. Although there are many hip shops, restaurants, spas and hotel but the daily life of Luang Prabang people are worth admiration. Those beautiful little street, breathakingly beautiful temples....All those images make my vacation in Laos lively and so unforgettable.

Luang Prabang by night is not less interesting. At the night market of this town, you can find sophisticated and alluring handicrafts of Laotian minorities. There are Hmong batik hem and embroderies by other ethnics.

I wish Laotian people will never be tempted by the dollar or assaulted by tourists so that their genuine hospitability will be remained unchange for a long time.

Beside Luang Prabang, we also explored Luang Nam Tha a border province of Laos. We encountered some pleasant Laotian during our trip but the language barrier prevented us from having deep discussions with the local people. My Lao is as awkward as their English. We carefully avoid the French who are almost always at the retirement age while others (Australians, Germans, Dutch, Americans ...) are generally much younger. Many travelled for several months in south-east Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma or even China, to India or Indonesia. The manners of some tourists ignoring local customs shocked us or we revolted. In Luang Nam Tha, we came across several times a couple of Germans of our age, very friendly, with whom we share our culinary.

In markets where you could buy a wardrobe for three to six dollars, there are a lot of things to discover. They sell beautiful textiles and handicrafts as well as succulant fruit. We were in despair of not being able to taste all the food laid along the aisles where women offer the authentic Laotian dishes from the thirty tribes that habitate the mountains. I had got some ideas for my future soups and try to identify the herbs in hope that I could find it in my hometown.

The second day, we rent bikes to explore the countryside, rice fields and villages of different ethnicities, rivers and small bamboo bridges ... At night, we sleeped for 21 hours like everyone else

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I took the time for little notes and pictures. We had to choose between living in the present or collect souvenirs. I tried to grow out of my "bad" habits. The magical moments are fleeting. My old camera is too slow for them not allowing me to do portraits, I am confined to landscapes and make still pictures.

The houses are mostly built on stilts to avoid animals and certainly more floods during monsoon. The period of time that we have chosen is ideal: virtually no mosquitoes, so there was no need to be vaccinated due to low temperature of the dry season which reducing tourism.

Some landscapes remind me of my trip to a Vietnam decade ago. It is said that this country has changed, that tourists are regarded as money machines, as opposed to the friendliness of Laotians.

When the city is lit up, the traveller streamed downtown. At the foot of Mount Phousi, the street meandered around with crimson tent put up for the night market on the Mekong river. From the top of the mountain, we can see glitter view of the market. The wonderful reflection of lights on myriads of colorful textiles, curtains, blanket, tables clothes, scrafts...Luang Prabang boast its traditional weaving trade.

Unlike China Town in Singapore, Mongkok in Hong Kong or Ben Thanh Market in Vietnam, which is full of lively souvenirs such as toys from Thai land or China, Luang Prabang night market just sells handicrafts and textiles typical of Laos. The works are very sophisticated with traditional pattern and diverse color making tourist endlessly amazing. The price is low, you can buy a set of six pillow for 60.000 kip.

Interestingly enough, due to the mountainous terrain, largely bordering forests, and partly river, Luang Prabang have various natural resource for the formation of diverse cusine. You can see a lot of inn signs saying " Serving mountain goat, hill chicken". Wandering into the suburb by motorbike, you can see herbs of goats roaming like those in Vietnam's highway. Chicken in Luang Prabang is tasty and the most interesting dish here is pork. Raised naturally, the pork is delicious with crunchy skin.

Cost of living in Luang Prabang is a little bit higher than in Vietnam. An average bowl of noodles cost 10.000 kip and Lao beer is about 12.000 kip. However, hotels are cheap. A double room for 4 with quite good service cost only 10 USD/night. The fact that hotelier accept many people taking a double room is a strange thing.

Despite some nuisanse of bargaining with Vietnamese driver and vendor living here, Luang Prabang is truly worthy of a visit for load of interesting things.

From Xieng Khouang bordering Nghe An, Vietnam to the east we covered 600 kms of rugged mountainous area before reaching Luang Prabang the former capital city of Laos. Today it is 425 km to the north of Vientiane the present-day capital city with a population of around 25.000.

Legend had it that a god gave a riddle for human-being: “ How many times does human facial expression change everyday?” The human replied: “Three times altogether. Once in the morning when washing face, once at noon when wearing hat and once in the evening when washing feet before night sleep. The answer was correct and the god had to cut his head off for the human. Ever since people have to water his head or else the crop will be drought. Every year seven beautiful daughters of the god were responsible for this task.That is the origin of the Water festival in Luang Prabang. Every year, seven charming girls are selected to join the yearly Buddha Watering Ceremony. Along the way the tuk-tuk driver kept saying that every Laotian wish to visit the sacred city Luang Prabang at least once in their lifetime.

In Luang Prabang we visited the most popular sights such as the Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xieng Tong and the stunning waterfall Khoung Si. In the morning you can see the most noticeable sight of the city. Monks in saffron robes walk through the streets. They are given offerings at each house they stops at. Laotian people still preserve and respect this Buddhist ritual very much.

We went on a tour city by tuk- tuk the most common means of transport here. Amazingly enough, almost all tuk-tuk drivers speak English fluently and they are good at Vietnamese too. Thus, we felt very reassured to stay here without any language barrier….( to be continued)

Found some guides to Luang Prabang:

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