Luang Prabang: Heart of Laos?

We left Vang Vieng on March 22 in the morning and for the next 7 hours traveled about 200 km on windy (wine-d, not win-d) mountain roads soaring above Karst landscapes. The bus was a bit grungy, but at least we had seats, unlike the unfortunate souls sitting on plastic stools in the aisle for the whole trip. We arrived at the bus station south of LP in the evening and took an over-sized tuktuk downtown, checked into a guesthouse, and finally we were really in Luang Prabang, the predetermined "heart" of mine and Lauren's travels together.

Seven days later, aka this morning, I left LP on a miserable, cold, wet long-tail boat. I'm not really sure what happened in the intervening week, and I won't make you suffer through an excruciating drawn-out attempt at a recap of what happened, because really, not much happened. Luang Prabang was one of those places that is difficult to qualify. I'm not sure what it is about this place that makes it special; perhaps it's the well preserved colonial architecture, or the mountains or rivers that surround it; but when it comes down to it, I can think of lots of places that are more picturesque then this.

It may have something to do with the fact that this was the place I was supposed to meet Peter, so I'm trying to romanticize it more than is appropriate. Either way, there is something special here.

The days there were spent mostly lazily, waking up late, eating, drinking coffee, and maybe seeing a temple. One day both Lauren and I were sick all day with some mysterious illness. We just watched TV and then tried to eat some noodle soup.

We went to a multi-tiered waterfall by sawng thaew (pickup truck) one day with Justine and I got to practice my Spanish with a guy from Argentina. Once there, we hiked around the turquoise pools and up to the top fall, then I jumped off a rope swing into the cold water.

One day we watched the movie 127 hours in a Canadian-owned bookstore. I had heard some people say that they would rather cut their own arm off then watch that movie, but I enjoyed it. Bravo James Franco, some good dark comedy there.

We walked for hours on end around the night craft market and bought some souveniers for some of you people. We had a ceremony for Peter on the banks of the Mekong, then Lauren left the day before I. I saw an old friend from Siem Reap my last night there. Although only three weeks had passed since I had seen her, it seemed like years.

LP was special, and I know that nothing I have said really conveys how. I have not been able to pin down the reasons why it is so, and perhaps it is better that way.

The truth is, I am using a really expensive internet connection in Nong Khiaw, a tiny village north of Luang Prabang. I am going to China tomorrow, if possible, because there is nothing to do here that is not ruined by this pouring rain. And I just spent seven hours in an open boat on a river in the rain. I'm cold and tired and trying to finish this post before I go to China, where I cannot access my blog.

I'm not even sure if people are still reading this. Well, I am in a dark place now, traveling solo again, and I feel all of a sudden like I need to be done with Laos. Not because Laos has wronged me, but because it just seems like the time, and I have a schedule to keep (approximatively 13 countries to go).

I am setting up a new email address to keep in touch with me in China: brett.allin@hotmail.com (easy enough to remember). I will try to have someone post for me by proxy for my time in China.

And I will post pictures in due time. Ok, y'all be safe now.

[EDIT]

And I ended up staying in this pleasant village for another day so I have time to add some photos. The sun has come out and I'm no longer on the verge of hypothermia. Here they are:

Dragon, Royal Palace Temple

Bamboo Bridge across river

View South from the hill at sunset

View East from the hill at sunset

Sunset from the hill; tourists love this stuff

Boat across the Mekong (to see some temples)

One of the turquoise pools at the watefall

The main falls

Atop the hill in LP with Peter in mind

City view (the blue vehicle is what we call a 'Sawng Thau')