Luang Prabang

I love it here, so laid back. Had a bit of a bad night though, something I ate I think and couldn't face the morning excursion so stayed in bed. Walked around town and went to Wat Xieng Thong. Typical (apparently) Laos architecture with the roof sloping almost to ground level. A serene place despite the number of visitors, originally built in the 1500's and the walls decorated with glass mosaics, this picture shows the tree of life, and one of me taken by a french woman who had the same camera and I thought, wrongly as you can see, that she knew what she was doing.






















Managed a coke for lunch and then went on the waterfalls trip, to Quang Si. Just beautiful, the falls must be 150 feet high, falling off limestone cliffs into a turquoise pool. I managed to climb half way up and had someone take a picture...how brave was I?





You can't escape the realities of life here though and at the base of the falls there was a sanctury for a rescued tiger, Phet, fully grown now but orphaned at 2 months by illegal hunters and also some rescued black bears.



In the evening I climbed Phousi hill inside the town, to watch the sun set over the Mekong and the River Khan which runs into the Mekong just north of the town.



Well it is Thursday (I think) and I am just back from a 1/2 day cruise, 2 hours upstream to Pak Ou caves containing 1000 Buddahs and 1 hour back. The river is majestic, the 11th longest river in the world and 3 or 4 times the width of the Thames in London. I estimated driver, three wood then think about it. (No comments from the golfers who know me that it must be about 250 yds then). Going upstream the boat kept close to the shore to avoid the strong current but on the way back we kept to the centre and went very quickly. The scenery all around is stunning, mist in the mountains, and I am afraid the photographs will not do it justice but I will never forget it. This is the view the Buddahs have.




Have also visitied the Royal Palace, now a museum and no photography allowed but what oppulence. The royal family were exiled to the north in 1975 by the communist government and never been heard of since, I don't think I am supposed to ask what happened? I took this shot leaving the palace looking at the hill where I watched the sunset last night.



Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and for good reason, but I can't stay here for ever and have booked a flight to Hanoi for tomorrow. I don't expect to find the same tranquility but I want to see it all so must move on. The purists here say I should get the bus as the 28 hours is an experience.....I'll fly.

It's taken me ages to upload these pictures but I take them all on maximum setting to keep so just have to put up with it. Beer time now though.

Last picture, this is the way the girls ride their motorbikes in LP...