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Luang Prabang - Closer To Fine February, 2008 |
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A Unesco World Heritage site, it sits wedged on a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. French colonial architecture is evident throughout the town, a shocking contrast to the poor countryside. All ranges of accommodations are provided, from cheap backpacker haunts to high scale boutique hotels. A curious variety of restaurants line the main street, packed to capacity every night under the balmy skies. Night markets fill up a few side streets and a daily market is a few blocks from the main street. Small shops dot the tree-lined streets, silversmiths pounding patterns, artisans weaving textiles and artists pressing paper. How did this Bohemian town end up here? You could spend two or three days just investigating the many guesthouses that proliferate throughout town. Alternatively, sample a new restaurant for every meal of the day. Or hang out and sip thick, rich Lao coffee (with sweet condensed milk), at one of the many WiFi cafes in town. Perhaps a glass of wine at the local wine bar? Luang Prabang is an impressionable oasis in the midst of an impressive and friendly country. We met Carol who works on a
project to help local Lao people develop learning skills to better their
opportunities in life. This involves reading and Despite the appearance of prosperity in Luang Prabang, a quick five-minute boat ride across the Mekong will bring you face to face with the more realistic face of Laos. Biding our time on the muddy banks of the Mekong, we waited patiently as the ferry across the river disgorged its passengers and cargo. Quickly, it filled with a new load and zigzagged back across the current. As we landed on the far bank, we scuffled up the dusty bank and shooed away a pack of stray dogs. Heading inland, we followed a worn road along the rice fields, past bent-over farmers toiling in the fields, a frequent bamboo hut offering a respite of shade during the muggy afternoons. Arriving in the poor villages, kids call out ‘sa ba dee’ (hello), from the open windows of their fragile huts, and many rush out to look us over. How they manage to distill so much happiness and zest for life, from the apparent meagerness of their material possessions, is refreshing. To them, a successful day at the office is scraping together fifty cents for a bowl of rice, discovering six eggs in the roost, or replenishing their water from the local well. Unlike Thailand, the ‘Land of Smiles’, these seem genuine.
In Luang Prabang, we have a favorite WiFi internet café up the street that we visit every morning. Once a day, we frequent the noodle woman around the corner, where we share a bumpy old picnic table with other patrons. A mid day shake from the fruit stand compliments the thin crepe fried to perfection with chocolate and bananas. At night, we patronize the wine bar, plopping down in the 1970’s beanbag chairs and watch the tourists wander the streets. Perhaps, we end up at the Martini Bar, a block up the street. One night, the Visa ATM stopped dispensing money, although the Master Charge continued to operate, and no one seemed to know when the local technician would arrive to fix it. Luang Prabang is narcotic and bipolar. There is a lot to do, and there is nothing to do. Do nothing but wander around town, poke your head into the temples, rise at dawn to observe the monks gathering alms, relax, and enjoy the many good meals. Catch a bus to the crystal clear Kouangxi Waterfalls out side of town, or book one of the many tours offered at most business establishments in town. Eventually, we looked at each other and realized it is time to move on, although leaving Luang Prabang is a difficult decision.
From there, we plan on doing a week long loop through a few other settlements - Phonsaven and the ‘Plain of Jars’ - before returning to Luang Prabang. Or perhaps, along the way, we will end up somewhere else. Sometime soon, we will take the slow two-day boat trip up the Mekong to Northern Thailand. Today we realized that we have 60 day visas, so we’re not rushed to exit Laos and may spend more time here. This is named for one of my favorite Indigo Girls songs. After spending time in many so many towns, villages, and big cities the last few months, it is invigorating and encouraging to find such a gem as Luang Prabang. The wonderful people of Laos will warm your heart and the dramatic scenery will catch your breath. Is it the perfect destination, the unknown Shangri-La few people ever visit? I am afraid it is too late for that, but still culturally inspiring, a haven of comfort and a tonic for the road. If not perfect, then certainly closer to fine.
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We
had heard so many positive things about Luang Prabang from fellow
travelers that we adjusted our itinerary to
accommodate a trip here. Luang Prabang is not easy to reach, unless you
are willing to fly. It is a slow two-day boat ride down the Mekong River
from the north of Thailand, or a sometimes-nauseating inducing
twelve-hour bus ride from the south. However, it is worth the effort. 
writing exercises, practicing English, and developing computer
proficiency. Education in this country is not well developed, yet this
town is the ‘Harvard’ of higher education and has the best schools. We
were both very impressed with the effort Carol is making in her project
During
our travels, we try to stay at least three and preferably a week, at
each location. We think spending quality time in each place - by staying
longer and patronizing local guesthouses and restaurants - is a higher
priority than trying to see everything and wasting time with too many
travel obligations. We are then able to develop habits, follow routines,
and create a temporary rooting in a community. 
Tomorrow
we go three hours north to the town of Nong Khiau, set in a dramatic
mountainous region along a spring fed river. We’ve purchased
books from an organization in town that distributes reading material to
kids of all ages. These books show pictures of common items, the Lao
word, and corresponding English word. We’ll distribute them to the rural
communities up there and do a lot more ‘sa ba dee’s’. 
