Daily Life in Luang Prabang, Lao

Getting familiar with the locals

The past few days in Luang Prabang (after a day in Vientiane, and a run-around 6 hours in Vong Vieng), have been quite pleasant - I can breathe again! After the smog and exhaust, a constant in Hanoi, VN, the air here is refreshingly clean. The Mekong River and lots of forest must help...

Lao people continue to be very friendly, outgoing, and engaging. Two friends and I went to Big Brother Mouse to have English conversation practice with a large group of about 12-15 college-age students. More boys than girls, many studying to become English teachers, impressive language ability, and quiet demeanors. I've hardly heard a raised voice in this country.

After chatting for an hour, it was time to find lunch. We've been sampling the traditional foods of LP, including a beef stew with a piece of "spicy wood," literally a branch that will make your mouth tingle. It's not a hot spice, but definitely provides a unique sensation. Another delicacy is dried, spicy buffalo meat, rather like beef jerky. The fish curry soup has been the best item so far (closely followed by grilled fish). The morning glory is reputed to be tasty, but hasn't been available in the places I've eaten thus far.

In the afternoon, a friend and I ended up babysitting two girls for a couple we met on the ride to the waterfall the day before. They're 7 and 11 years old, so, active and giggly. They are a family from Belgium, and the girls could communicate quite well in English. The older would often translate for the younger sister. There have been more families traveling together than I've seen in the past. Maybe a good market for babysitting services! "Mother May I" and a hand-clap, song-singing game were popular.

Speaking of the waterfall - Kuang Si falls was worth the negotiating with taxis to get us there. First you come upon an 10' cascade into a large pool of silty white/green water, deep enough to jump into from the top of the falls. There are other spots to let the water pound on your back while you perch on rocks. Then, further along, th evalley opens up where a series of longer falls drop over ledges for 200' or so. It was possible to walk to the top, tramp through the swamp-like streams, stand in the middle of the top of the falls and peer over the side. Don't worry, they had a branch across the stream to prevent any falls over the edge...

Tomorrow, it's another bus ride north, to Nong Khiaw, where I will take part in the book-party. We'll distribute books to each child in a village, have a ceremony, and time to read and play together. Should be another great way to connect with the locals.

The vats (Buddhist temples, "wat" in Thai) here in Luang Prabang are numerous, every hundred paces or so! And, quite active. I've gone into several, and the young monks are eager to chat. Most say they're 16-18, doing the culturally expected monk experience for young men. They have the chance to study Buddhism, as well as English (most had their English textbooks out, so it was an easy conversation starter), and have plans to go on to become business people, or study in Thailand (where there's a selection of universities, whereas there's only one national university in the capitol, Vientiane).

Signing off from Luang Prabang. More later, probably after a long bus ride heading east back to Vietnam. Perhaps with a stopover at the Plain of Jars.
Cheers.