Luang Prabang

So I'm kind of obsessed with Luang Prabang. The town sits on the thin peninsula between the Mekong and a tributary. The buildings are dripping with bougainvillea and there are butterflies everywhere. As we wandered aimlessly around the brick-paved alleys we would happen upon young monks, sweeping blossoms off altars or playing badminton using their bright orange laundry hanging out to dry instead of a net. In the center of town cafes and boutiques lined the main drag next to the royal palace and various wats. On the river banks, restaurants served up barbeque and hot pots. Basically this was everything I hoped to find in Laos. Chill, lovely, yummy, and generally enchanting.







I never got tired of the wats here. Each had some particular beauty. All were quietly tucked away on side streets and behind palm groves or vein-covered walls. And despite a town full of foreigners, we generally found ourselves with these spots to ourselves.







There was lovely yellow-plaster colonial architecture throughout most of the town, but down a few small streets were these more traditional stilt homes. This one was surrounded by these unbelievably skinny palms:








We took a day trip out of town to the waterfalls at Tat Kuang Si where I saw in the travertine pools, and we hiked up the falls to a shaded riverbed full of beautiful moths.










Save this one excursion, the only other activity in which we engaged (besides eating and strolling, of course), was an evening performance by the local troupe of Ramayan dancers. Though the costumes, music, and technique, were certainly new, the evening was generally a bust. I saw one of the members of the choir doze off at one point...Though we enjoyed plenty of western-style comfort food in Vientiane, it wasn't until we ate in Luang Prabang that we had anything that felt authentically Laotian. We spent a great night making our own grilled meats and noodle soup at a river-side restaurant. Incidentally, Luang Prabang establishments have fully utilized the power of the twinkly-light.Throughout this trip, I significantly more likely to choose the stores or cafes with twinkly lights over those without. I don't know why more businesses don't exploit this weakness. In Luang Prabang I found a town full of experts and I was flush with options. Another local specialty with which I was quickly enamored was stick rice. The sticky rice was served in it's own banana leaf pouch and I liked to eat it with my fingers.




Another charming feature of life in Luang Prabang is the night market. Around sunset the main street through town fills up with food and handicraft vendors. The town's power supply usually cuts out a couple hours in, and thereafter the buffets and tents are lit by candlelight.

Last but not least, I wanted to mention the fired egg and noodle soup I enjoyed for breakfast. Hot, salty, filling, and cheap.xoxo Jessie

p.s. Look who hung out on Aaron's collar!