10,956 km so far.
We are really enjoying the speed of life in Laos, and know that when we leave Luang Prabang our time here will be pretty much over.
Riding on a quiet street, Luang Prabang.
We are thankful to have another day to wander around the city, without much of anything on our to do list.
TVs, Luang Prabang.
Working Hard At Relaxing
Luang Prabang is a beautiful city – the whole town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – filled with orange robed monks-in-training and 33 beautifully ornate Buddhist wats.
You can easily wile away a day or three walking along the edge of the Mekong…
…crossing one of the bamboo bridges to the small towns across the Nam Khan river…
Seasonal bamboo bridge over the Nam Khan.
…meandering through the markets filled with local (and some imported) foods and handicrafts…
Honeycomb at the Luang Prabang morning market.
…and visiting the wats.
We wandered around the Royal Palace grounds, but didn’t go inside.
We walked out along the end of the peninsula, started to create a backpacker bingo where you get points for spotting dreadlocks and harem pants, being slightly annoyed that the internet is as slow in Laos as everything else… you know, generally having a fun, relaxed day.
Jane’s note: I accomplished my big goal for the day, which was to get a traditional Lao massage. It was a little underwhelming, even though I went to The Peninsula, which came highly recommended on a few expat blogs. My masseuse pretty much phoned it in, going through the motions without any commitment. She did use a good technique on my hamstrings though, kneeling with both her knees on one of my legs. It hurt, but in a good way.
Sitting in a riverfront bar, watching the sun set on theh Mekong, life seemed pretty idyllic.
We are heading out early tomorrow, taking the slow boat along the Mekong for two days to get us to Thailand. I know, I know. That’s not cycling. But, if you aren’t riding to Vientiane from here, you take the boat to Thailand. It’s just the way it goes. The roads involve a huge detour and more mountains than we care to tackle.
Three Strikes
With our alarm set for 6am, we went to bed. And then I hardly slept.
We had discussed spending a mini fortune on a nice dinner, but laziness and frugality saw us head back to the vegan buffet in the night market for the third night in a row.
Mistake. Three times apparently isn’t a charm.
I could go into the details of my night in the bathroom. It is tempting as the description would be full of graphic adjectives and kinda fun to write – but I will spare you.
By the time the alarm went off in the morning I wasn’t feeling any better, and we had a decision to make. Stay in Luang Prabang another day, or take our chances on the boat to Pakbeng.
Tune in tomorrow. ♥
Hi, I’m Stephen. I travel the world leading Adventure Yoga workshops and trainings. Plus I run My Five Acres with Jane. I’ve taught yoga in 25 countries and we’ve had adventures in more than 50! My goal is to empower you to decide who you want to be and what you want from life — and to help you cultivate the courage you need to to go get it.
7 comments
Comment by Tonkin Voyage Travel
Tonkin Voyage Travel August 8, 2018 at 3:21 am
Oh, I love the honey in Laos. It’s authentic and taste very well, not like in Vietnam. Although travelling in Laos is quite rustic, it is worth experiencing. Thanks so much for your sharing!
Comment by Jane
Jane August 8, 2018 at 6:23 pm
Interesting. I had no idea there would be a difference in honey from Laos to Vietnam. I guess Vietnam would have more industrial honey production and Laos would do it more by hand.
We really loved our time in Laos. My last trip was unfortunatly cut short – so I really want to go back and explore more of the southern region!
J
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Comment by Scot
Scot March 12, 2014 at 6:42 pm
My sympathies. Had a night exactly like that when just before we left Cuba. It is not fun. The graphic details are still fresh in my mind. Hope you didn’t mess up your harem pants ;-).
Comment by Stephen
Stephen March 13, 2014 at 6:52 am
Harem pants – can’t hurt ’em.
Comment by Mauricio
Mauricio March 10, 2014 at 7:36 pm
Oh no… Rest up and enjoy another day of dreadlocks and harem pants.
Comment by Stephen
Stephen March 13, 2014 at 6:49 am
Was so tempted to buy some harem pants today. (Just to be clear: not really). They are everywhere.
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