Luang Prabang, Laos

My first stop after conference was in the ancient capital of Laos, Luang Prabang.  My stay there largely centered around our riverside bungalows, especially considering I was intimately tied to our bungalow’s bathroom for two out of the four and a half days we were in Laos (and yes, I’ll spare you further details of that experience).  However, it wasn’t such a bad place to be cooped up in.  The Thongbay bungalows sit outside of the city, directly on the Mekong river.  Our bungalow had a huge porch with southeast Asian lounging pads overlooking the river.  It was the perfect place to lounge and read…and enjoy hot crepes in the morning.

The guesthouse had this white board where you fill out your breakfast order and the time you want it delivered to your bungalow.  How amazing is that? 

The staff at the guesthouse were extraordinarily helpful and friendly, and even were planning on getting me a birthday cake until my body decided to reject all food.  They treated us to a meal at the end of our stay, and adorned us with free scarves…which almost made up for the one downside of the place–a loud bar/restaurant just down the river that loved blasting music at night.  With all of the other positives of the place, though, this fact was forgivable.

On the days I actually made it out of the bungalows, Lisa and I toured the sights around Luang Prabang, which meant seeing a lot of the old temples.  There are a plethora of pictures up on my flickr site.

A few of my other favorite things about Laos are:

Fresh coffee shakes and baguette sandwich stalls lining the street.  One positive result of French control in southeast Asia is excellent bread and coffee.  The French could certainly teach the Chinese a few things about this.

A chill and laid back market.  Lisa and I were astounded!  This was the calmest market we’ve been to anywhere in Asia.  Sellers don’t harass you.  In fact, at least half of the sellers were napping.  We could hear crickets chirping.  It made shopping quite the pleasant experience.

Lastly, the people.  I love the people in Laos.  Everything centers around relationship in Laos, and this shows in all interactions.  Lisa and I ran into these guys while touring one of the mountain temples and we stopped and chatted for a bit.  They were working as tour guides in the city and were looking to practice their English for a bit.