If you followed our last blog you will know how much I love this town. Every day just wandering the streets is so interesting and beautiful, always something new to look at or re-visit places we saw before on our last trip.
In just a year we can see new up-market hotels and guest houses have started up. I just hope they don't over do things, but there are strict building codes for the UNESCO World Heritage listing to comply with.
For the first six nights in Luang Prabang we stayed at The Ban Lakham Gust House on the Nam Khan River but we decided to move over to the Mekong River side of town.The town is built on a peninsular where the two rivers meet. We are now at the Mekong Charm Guest House which is less expensive ( $60 per night) compared with $95 at Ban Lakham. The Mekong Charm is much better value with lovely large rooms with great views over the river. It also has a better and softer bed with nice pillows.
There is always something interesting going on in this street but it's not noisy or anything. A lovely thing about Laos is the laughter, always people laughing at something and kids playing in the street. Boats going back and forth on the river make it interesting as well.
We have eaten at many restaurants, mostly family run affairs, but we plan to go to some up-market places as well. Eating out is very good value wherever you go here.
I never find this town boring, there is always something beautiful to look at if you have your eyes open. Some people never see beauty, I wonder what's going on in their minds, probably not much.
The people are very friendly, but a little effort to engage goes a long way, just a smile speaks volumes here.
We have met up with two locals we met last time, Mr.Peng who drives us around on the back of his little covered pick up truck, he is 24 but looks about 18, he is tiny. He comes from a poor family who grow vegetables a few kilometers from here. He wakes every morning at 3am to take the produce to market then touts to get tourists to use his vehicle for transport. The other one is Mr.Dowe, who's family sell sticky rice to tourists for the alms giving to the Buddhist monks early each day. I think he is better off financially compared to Peng, but still probably wakes at 3 am to boil the water so he can sell the rice and coffee to the tourists. He is getting married soon and is worried about his big stomach and his smoking addiction. Actually, he didn't tell me that in so many words, I just think that's what he said. His English is not so good, we talk using sign language, same also with Peng, although less sign language needed.
Looking at the living conditions on our way here for many people is a reminder of how poor this country is. It's shocking to see, but I guess we are just the lucky ones on this planet. Born at the right time in the right place, I don't have much optimism for what the future holds for this over crowded world we live in. A plague of people, just too many.
Photos below were taken either from our guest house or in the street or sides streets where we are staying.
In just a year we can see new up-market hotels and guest houses have started up. I just hope they don't over do things, but there are strict building codes for the UNESCO World Heritage listing to comply with.
For the first six nights in Luang Prabang we stayed at The Ban Lakham Gust House on the Nam Khan River but we decided to move over to the Mekong River side of town.The town is built on a peninsular where the two rivers meet. We are now at the Mekong Charm Guest House which is less expensive ( $60 per night) compared with $95 at Ban Lakham. The Mekong Charm is much better value with lovely large rooms with great views over the river. It also has a better and softer bed with nice pillows.
There is always something interesting going on in this street but it's not noisy or anything. A lovely thing about Laos is the laughter, always people laughing at something and kids playing in the street. Boats going back and forth on the river make it interesting as well.
We have eaten at many restaurants, mostly family run affairs, but we plan to go to some up-market places as well. Eating out is very good value wherever you go here.
I never find this town boring, there is always something beautiful to look at if you have your eyes open. Some people never see beauty, I wonder what's going on in their minds, probably not much.
The people are very friendly, but a little effort to engage goes a long way, just a smile speaks volumes here.
We have met up with two locals we met last time, Mr.Peng who drives us around on the back of his little covered pick up truck, he is 24 but looks about 18, he is tiny. He comes from a poor family who grow vegetables a few kilometers from here. He wakes every morning at 3am to take the produce to market then touts to get tourists to use his vehicle for transport. The other one is Mr.Dowe, who's family sell sticky rice to tourists for the alms giving to the Buddhist monks early each day. I think he is better off financially compared to Peng, but still probably wakes at 3 am to boil the water so he can sell the rice and coffee to the tourists. He is getting married soon and is worried about his big stomach and his smoking addiction. Actually, he didn't tell me that in so many words, I just think that's what he said. His English is not so good, we talk using sign language, same also with Peng, although less sign language needed.
Looking at the living conditions on our way here for many people is a reminder of how poor this country is. It's shocking to see, but I guess we are just the lucky ones on this planet. Born at the right time in the right place, I don't have much optimism for what the future holds for this over crowded world we live in. A plague of people, just too many.
Photos below were taken either from our guest house or in the street or sides streets where we are staying.
