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| Luang Prabang from Wat Chom Si, near sunset |
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Introduction
The significance of Luang Prabang for the Laotian people seems to be in the several Wats and monasteries. As in the other countries we found just sitting at an outdoor restaurant, sipping coffee or eating a meal, and watching to be among our favourite things to do. However, there are caves and waterfalls to be seen near Luang Prabang and river trips and canoeing (if I remember rightly) and trecking can be done. The condition of the roads and footpaths in Luang Prabang compared to what we saw in Siem Reap was rather striking. In Siem Reap many footpaths in particular were very rough and poorly maintained compared to Luang Prabang. In Siem Reap the roads to the most visited tourist sites were in fair condition, but some of the streets were in poor shape.
There are at least two museums that are worth a visit: the one in the
grounds of the Royal Palace and the
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre,
Ban Khamyong (northern end of Phou Si Hill, not far from the night
market).
Luang Prabang
A typical street in Luang Prabang
The day in Luang Prabang starts with monks walking through the streets and collecting rice and other food offerings from people who want to gain merrit by so doing; and also from tourists. The dim light forced a shutter speed of only a fifth of a second, hence there is blurring due to movement.
Breakfast time for the monks was around 0530 to 0615.
One doesn't see trees like this in temperate Australia where I come from.
It would only be a guess but I suspect the aerial roots at least, if not all of these trees, would be some sort of fig.
Mekong River
Its average discharge is 16,000m3second; for comparison the best known and longest river in Australia, the Murray, has an average flow of about 770m3second.
This photo shows another river that joins the Mekong in Luang Prabang. I would suppose that the town is where it is because of the river junction.
Boats on the Mekong at Luang Prabang.
The three in the foreground, I would think, would be for tourist's day trips.
Also seen on the way up-river to Pak Ou Cave.
I'd say that this is a Mekong cruse boat for trips of several days or even weeks.
Loggers on the bank of the Mekong. I'd guess that they are bringing logs to the river so that they can be floated downstream to a timber mill.
There appears to be a slide beneath the logs. If so it would be to help to get the logs into the river (or out of the river?)
Street transport
The tuk-tuks in Luang Prabang are quite different to those in Siem Reap. Those in Siem Reap were trailers attached to only slightly modified motorbikes. (See Getting around Siem Reap.)
As in Vietnam, Laotian motor bike are used to carry large and heavy loads. The man is intending to go as well – to hold the load on. Luang Prabang food and restaurants
In the photo is "Mekong seaweed" on right and "fried cashew nuts with garlic" at back. The Mekong seaweed was an interesting side dish that we had not come across before, quite nice; the cashew nuts with garlic, like many of the other dishes we ate, were delicious. Western food was readily available, but we generally ate the local dishes; we could eat western food when we went home. Good places to eatThere were several very good restaurants on the bank of the Mekong at the end of the ally that ran to the NW from Sok Dee Guesthouse. Cafe Mekong Fish was one, The Big Tree was another.
There were many other restaurants; we didn't have time to try more than a
few of them.
Most were good or excellent.
This is a part of the eating area beneath The Big Tree. There were at least three small restaurants within twenty metres of a huge and beautiful tree that was covered with epiphytes. All were overlooking the Mekong River and about fifty metres from our hotel (Sok Dee Guesthouse).
The Big Tree again
There were three levels of eating areas, all overlooking the Mekong.
We never saw more than ten or so people in any one of the three restaurants
at any one time, so the three levels were certainly not needed while we
were there.
Perhaps they were used once in a while for large group bookings?
Sunset over the Mekong
Night market
The way that this appeared every evening and disappeared before morning was very impressive. All day it was no more than a normal, quite busy, street. At night a length of 440m of the street became a busy market. The shelters were needed because there was occasional very heavy rain.
This photo was taken when the shelters were being erected in the late
afternoon.
The night market in the dark. There were four rows of stalls, one on each side and two in the centre, with a walkway each side of the centre block. A tall Caucasian finds it necessary to duck his head quite a bit.
There was a huge range of goods on offer (not fresh foods, which were sold
during the day from a different market not far away).
Royal Palace
The Pavilion in the Royal Palace enclosure was built only a couple of years before our visit. The 'Royal Palace' has not been used by the kings for several decades; Laos is no longer a kingdom, the government calls it a People's Democratic Republic.
Another view of the Pavilion in the grounds of the Royal Palace.
Its roof obviously needs cleaning; that would not be a small or easy job.
(It is interesting that a Hindu epic is popular in a predominantly Buddhist
country.
We heard that the other main Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, is much less
popular in Cambodia and Laos.
Both epics are also performed regularly, I believe, in Jogjakarta in Muslim
Java.)
Pak Ou Caves
In the photo boats can be seen tied up to a jetty below the cave. It was raining at the time.
There was a stop at 'the Whiskey Village' on the way to the cave.
One could taste (and buy) whiskey as well as view and buy locally made
products.
One thing that could not be bought at the Whiskey Village was cheap raincoats
or umbrellas; we were not prepared for the heavy rain that started while we were there.
Some of the great many Buddha statues in Pak Ou Cave.
I don't recall whether this was the lower or upper cave.
Kuang Si Waterfall
The water must have contained high levels of calcium or magnesium, which precipitated at the top of the cascades and gradually built them up as little dams.
Click on the image (or touch it) to see full size
The main waterfall at Kuang Si. Some of the mineral precipitate can be seen near the top.
There was also a bear rescue centre and a place where hand crafts, meals and
refreshments could be bought nearby.
Wat Xieng Thong
This large temple complex is near the end of the peninsula on which is the old part of Luang Prabang. There is an entry fee of, if I remember rightly, the equivalent of a couple of dollars.
Click on the image (or touch it) to see full size
A part of a decorated external wall on one of the Wat buildings. Scenes from the life of the last Buddha?
A part of the interior of Wat Xieng Thong
For some reason, I know not what, these monks played their gongs and drums for quite a few minutes while we happened to be at the Wat. It was quite rhythmic and pleasant.
We also heard loud drumming at night; usually, I think, around 0400hrs.
(Much more pleasant than the calls to prayer that one hears at about 0500hrs
in Muslem societies.)
Wat Chom Si
The golden roof is on Wat Phon Pa, in this view it is seen from Wat Chom Si, which is on a prominent hill in the old part of Luang Prabang. Photographed near sunset.
The view from Wat Chom Si near sunset.
I counted 330 steps to the top of the hill.
Standing room only on the Wat Chom Si hill. There is a very limited amount of space on the hill and the evening that I was there, there was quite a goodly crowd (mostly Caucasian). |
