Lovely Laos

After a quick mini-bus to the Thai border (3 hrs.) it was a skiff ride across the Mekong to Huay Xai Lao.   Just the 5 minute run across the was a huge difference, the slickness and efficiency of Thailand gave way to the laid back, socialist Lao. We arrived at about 4:30 in the afternoon to the Immigration office and filled out a form for our Visa and paid the serious looking uniformed officer  the entry fee…plus $1a piece for overtime, since it was after  4pm.

The line-up of slowboats that head down the river to
Luang Prabang (2 days).

Young novice monks at prayer in the village temple at the
 ring of the 6pm bells

The slowboats were about 8’ wide and 120’ long

 and cruised at about 8 knots down river with basic seating

 and about 70 westerners along for the ride down the lazy river.

boats for living

fishing boats

 Just a floating and a fishing with more kinds of boats than you ever thought of.    The boat stopped for the night at a village called Pak Beng and we all bailed off for a hotel room and dinner with a vague time for the morning’s departure for the last leg to Luang Prabang.

Boats for those who want to get some
where quickly. Don a helmet and brace 
yourself for an exhilarating ride - and
hope you don't flip

No, he's not using huge chopsticks to pull on the tassels, but
putting away the poles after pushing off for the next day
 on the river

Of Course we are still in temple & Buddhist country and if there is a cave alongside the river…then there is a good chance of there being a Buddha in it…..then of course a tour boat to the cave and it goes on & on.....

Cappacino or BeerLao...if 6  was 9.....

Luang Prabang turned out to be a cross between Lao-laid-back and leftover French colonial buildings, streets & cafes. Tables lined the river for anytime of day coffees, baguettes, fish or a bowl of noodles(Pho). A very enjoyable place to stroll about and soak it all up.

Old French buildings, street shops and local transportation.

Of course there was a large amount of Temples and Monks in their saffron robes and freshly shaved heads.

gangs o monks

  Every morning at sunrise the monks streamed down the
 streets with their  brass alms bowls, collecting pinches
of rice from the devote who are kneeling on the roadside with
their baskets of rice. But...also there were hordes of 
camera toting tourists flinting  around taking pictures 
changing a religious procession into a circus act. We tried to 
be discrete.

Love that gold on green @ the temple on the Kings grounds

Luang Prabang was the Royal Capital until 1975 when the Pathet Lao took control of the country.

Yes, we bought some scarves from her....

weaving scarfs to drying rice cakes....

Lining alleyways were these lovely rice cake set out to dry
in the afternoon sun. They become softly crunchy and are
especially tasty with a drizzle of some salty sweet paste.

Lao style barbecue is best with a group of friends: Sheba and
Vinay from Seattle and Judy and John from Juneau.

At the night market there were two food alleys. Each had 
buffets set up with an unbelievable assortment of foods. 
Plates were heaped high for a mere 10,000 kip ($1.20). 
Here we also joined new friends from the Czech Republic
on the Meat alley Buffet, other alley was Veggie only.

It was hard to leave Luang Prabang, so we made it as difficult as possible...No bus, no plane, no train, no boat.......Mountain bike anyone?