Laos

 Sabaidee, Laos!  (Hello!)

Chinese and Laos flags flying in Luang Prabang, Laos

Wednesday, January 8

Upper Mekong River from the Grand Luang Prabang Hotel

The next day, we flew to Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital of Laos, located on the thin peninsula between the Mekong and Khan rivers, with green mountains all around.  Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang is considered one of the wonders of SE Asia.  The quiet street-side cafes, ancient temples and beautiful scenery were quite a contrast from bustling Bangkok.  

Our room at the Grand Luang Prabang Hotel-lovely!

While most in our group loved our hotel, the Grand Luang Prabang, built around the former palatial home of Lao Prince Petsarath.  High on a hill at a wide bend of the upper Mekong, the view was fabulous, but the location 15 minutes outside of town, meant every time we wanted to see anything, we had to take the hotel shuttle into town.  While many in our group enjoyed the beautiful grounds, pool and spa (Dianne and Joan enjoyed massages one afternoon), we spent our free time in town instead. 

Loading up the jumbo tuk tuks for our ride into Luang Prabang.

We took jumbo tuk tuks to the center of town where our charming local guide Dao led a walking tour of town including many charming 19^th century French Colonial villas mixed with traditional Lao-style homes.  

Charming French Colonial-style houses in Luang Prabang

We were interested to see circles of sticky rice drying on wicker mats in the sun along the streets. 

Sticky rice cakes drying on wicker mats in the sun in Luang Prabang.  A traditional Lao food. 

At Wat Xien Thong, the premier wat of Luang Prabang, we toured the temple and then were treated to the monks ringing the drum gong. Saffron-robed young men were everywhere in Luang Prabang.

Saffron-robed young monks in Luang Prabang at one of the many monastery/schools.

Saffron-robed Buddha statues at Wat Xien Thong.

At the conclusion of our walking tour we climbed Phou Si Hill in the center of the old town where we climbed the 328 steps to the top to enjoy a view overlooking Luang Prabang at sunset.

Spectacular Sunset over the Mekong River from Phou Si Hill in Luang Prabang.

Setting up for the Night Market in Luang Prabang.

At the base of the hill, vendors were setting up in the street for the night market, where we browsed a bit before heading off to our group dinner. 

A new country, a new beer!  Lager and Dark Lager were our only choices in Laos.

Thursday, January 9

Ted & Dianne with our travel companion Fred at the breakfast terrace overlooking the Mekong River. Foggy early mornings.

Mulberry-paper-making demonstration.

After a wonderful breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Mekong, we were treated to tuk tuk rides to the local mulberry-papermaking village of Ban Xang Khong, where we saw paper makers and weavers and were impressed with the beautiful products, including many dyed in vibrant indigo.

Dying fabric indigo in Laos.

Boarding the motor boat for a ride up the Mekong River.

Local woman and child in Baan Xang Hai village

Dane checking out the Lao Lao whiskey at Baan Xang Hai village in Laos

Next we boarded a motor boat to ride upstream on the still-huge upper Mekong to Baan Xang Hai, a local rice whiskey-making village, where we had tastes of the potent stuff called Lao Lao,  then wandered around admiring the local handicrafts and watching the local people.

Young monks sharing a meal in a Laotian village.  Our local guide, Dao, told us he was a monk for 5 days, and almost starved.

Buddha images in the Pak Ou cave.

We continued to the mysterious Pak Ou cave, in the side of a limestone cliff.  

Boats lined up for visitors to the Pak Ou caves on the upper Mekong River.

The sanctuaries of Pak Ou consist of two large caves which house thousands of Buddha images ranging in size from mere centimeters to two meters in heights.  An amazing sight, and the view out across the Mekong to the mouth of the Nam Ou was beautiful too.

View from the Pak Ou cave across the Mekong River to the mouth of the Nam Ou River in Laos.

We enjoyed the scenery from the riverboat, including views of locals growing food and water buffalo grazing along the sandy banks that are washed away regularly by the rushing waters.

Water buffalo along the bank of the Mekong River.

Lunch on the Mekong River boat.

On the boat ride back downstream we were treated to a delicious on-board lunch of tempura perch and eggplant, a soup with greens, pork larb, a minced meat salad that is the national dish of Laos, and interesting fruits for dessert including saponilla and papaya, plus a delicious pumpkin/taro soup.  Of course Beer Lao was our beverage of choice.

Monks crossing the Kahn River on a rickity bamboo bridge.

Rather than going with the group by tuk tuk back to the hotel, we decided to stay in town and explore some more of the charming area on our own.  We found an outdoor café at the confluence of the Mekong and Kahn Rivers, where we sat and enjoyed cocktails while we watched monks and locals cross the rickety bamboo bridge across the Kahn River.

Singapore Slings, Gin & Tonic, and Mango Smoothie at the View Point Cafe of the Mekong River Hotel in Luang Prabang.

We were impressed with the lovely looking small hotels and wish we had been staying in one, rather than at a resort so distant from the interesting town.  There were also shops full of beautiful textiles, ceramics and arts.

One of the interesting shops in Luang Prabang.

Lao Coffee and assorted fripperies in Luang Prabang.

A stop for some refreshment resulted in a delicious Lao coffee, with sweetened condensed milk on the bottom of the glass, before we met our group for dinner at a restaurant in town.

Friday, January 10

Ted giving alms of sticky rice to young monks at dawn in Luang Prabang.

Our alms-giving station in Luang Prabang.

We rose before dawn for an interesting experience, the alms-giving ceremony.  Buddhists believe that by giving rice in this life, one is “making merit” and thereby ensuring they will not go hungry in their next life.  The many monks of Luang Prabang depend on this tradition; we removed our shoes and sat on the little stools provided for us, then waited in silence until the long row of monks in their saffron robes walked slowly in front of us.

We put a small knob of sticky rice in each of their containers, sneaking glances up at the young and old faces in front of us.  The event has become a tourist draw in Luang Prabang but we were impressed with the sacred ritual.

Joan shopping for what turned out to be fresh cilantro.

As the misty skies lightened, we walked to the local farmer’s market, where our tour guide had us shop for the ingredients for our lunch that day, asking the vendors in our awful accents for things we had no idea what we were saying.
 An interesting adventure.  Seeing the unusual things for sale in the market was fun-everything from fermented fish to defeathered little birds to skinned rats, plus lots and lots of interesting, sometimes identifiable vegetables and fruits.

Chilis, chilis, chilis, and baby crabs in woven baskets for sale at the Luang Prabang morning market.

Roasted rats and papayas right next to each other in the local market at Luang Prabang.

What a variety of fresh herbs!

De-feathered baby birds for sale in the local market. 

Local markets are our favorite thing to visit, and we lagged far behind the rest of the group, though we eventually met to go back to the hotel for a late breakfast, in spite of having seen raw unrefrigerated meat and fish, and rats and baby birds.

One of the features of Overseas Adventure Travel is the “Dayin the Life” Visit to a local home and school.  We enjoyed our visit to the Hmong village of Baan Tin Keo and spent some time in the classroom with the cutest possible children.

Children lined up with marigold necklaces they had made for us.

Our Hershey kisses were a big hit, as were the little toys we brought for the children.

Little imp pleased with her Hershey Kisses.

Afterwards we visited the home of the local Hmong hill tribal shaman, and listened while he answered our questions about his life.

Next was the obligatory "shopping opportunity", which was actually great, as we bought things directly from the village women who had made them.

The village leader's beautiful wife with her goods.

We watched as the ingredients we had purchased that morning in the market were turned into a dish for our lunch.

The ingredients we had purchased at the morning market, soon to be our lunch.

Interestingly, Joan was handed a banana leaf filled with the most flavorful food.  When she asked what it was, it was snatched away from her, as it was given to her by mistake-it was the local’s lunch, and in exchange she got the blah, flavorless packet everyone else was eating. We did get to try one treat: fried water buffalo skin, which puffed up amazingly when it was fried, and tasted like pork rinds.

Water buffalo skin puffs up as it is fried-tasted just like fried pork rinds!

We continued to the Kuang Si waterfall, where we hiked up the road to the beautiful waterfall (more striking before its recent collapse in 2003 when the tower of champagne-glass limestone fell in on itself, apparently.)

Kuang Si waterfall.

Still, the beautiful limestone formations and milky water coursing through the shaded grounds was interesting, especially the young tourists swimming in the deeper pools.

Swinging and swimming in the Kuang Si waters.

The Asiatic black bears, with white Vs on their chests, at the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Center were great fun to watch.  

Asiatic Black Bear with white "V" on it's chest.

We returned to Luang Prabang and with an evening free enjoyed one of the best meals of our trip at Les 3 Nagas, an open air restaurant connected to a hotel of the same name, both beautiful turn-of-the-century buildings.  The local Lao food was presented beautifully by a very pleasant staff.  Lemongrass mojitos were just the start, followed by a highly recommended betel-leaf soup then  . . .

Fresh spring rolls at Les 3 Nagas reastaurant in Luang Prabang.

Banana leaves stuffed with shredded chicken, and fillet of Makohng fish with ginger sauce.

Delicious desserts included sticky rice with banana and home made ice cream. 

Saturday, January 11

Rice noodle manufactory in Luang Prabang

Right next to our hotel was a workshop that made rice noodles.  Our guides arranged for us to make a quick visit.  Yowsa.  We thanked heavens for the USDA and the FDA! The batter was mixed in pots in the open air right on the ground, the the sheets were dried on wicker mats outside right next to our dusty road.  We had second thoughts about eating noodles after that visit!

The elephants and umbrella are part of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Laos.

Next we visited the Luang Prabang National Museum, consisting of the Royal Palace for the Kingdom of Laos, built from 1880 to 1909, and royal residence until 1975 when the Pathet Lao seized control of Laos.  (The king and his family were exiled to a remote northern region and never heard from again.) (Sorry, no pictures allowed inside.)

Vendors outside the Luang Prabang National Museum

The palace’s treasures were rather scanty but still interesting. The central throne room is done in colorful glass mosaics and there is a compound of large Spartan bedrooms with the little finery left after the departure of the king.  The temple at the entrance, like a gileded wedding cake, includes a replica of the golden standing Buddha called The Phra Bang, which translates to “holy image” which gives the town its name.The temple at the entrance is a gilded wedding cake!

The temple in the National Museum complex which houses a replica of the Phra Bang

Mulberry pie for lunch in Luang Prabang.

We had a light lunch on our own then flew to Vientiane, small and quiet for a capital city, is located on the north side of a bend in the Mekong; to the south in Thailand.  Because it was a Sunday, we saw more tree- lined streets than traffic.  Our hotel, Sabaidee @ Lao, was a centrally located, modern hotel, great for groups and next door to a great coffee shop, Ban Mai Coffee.

Riverside Park in Vientiane, Laos

Our guides, Panya and our local Lao guide Dao, took us on an orientation walk around town, including a new park at the edge of the Mekong River, and the Presidential Palace, a white house.

The Laotian Presidential Palace

Then the four of us took a stroll to check out the Settha Palace Hotel and La Belle Époque Restaurant.

Singapore Slings and Mojito at La Belle Epoque bar at the Stteha Palace Hotel in Vientiane, Laos

We stopped in for some  civilized drinks, checked out the menu, and made a reservation for the next evening when we were on our own, looking forward to some elegant French food in this former French protectorate.

Sunday, January 12

That Dam or Black Stupa in Vientiane, Laos

Within a few blocks of our hotel was the That Dam or Black Stupa,  one of the few ancient stupas that remains after the Siamese occupation. Since it has not undergone any renovation, vegetation has started to grow out of it which adds to its charm.  Many Laotians believe it is inhabited by a seven-headed nāga who tried to protect them from an invasion by the Siamese army in 1827.

Scene in the Morning Market in Vientiane, Laos

Also nearby was Talat Sao, the Morning Market.  We enjoy wandering around markets. What struck us about this market, in addition to the merchandise, was that we could see the shopkeepers living their lives, much as they do in the street-side shop-houses.  Accommodation were made for day care; one shopkeeper was having her hair done, perhaps by another tenant paying a house-call;  other tenants were bringing refreshments or food to their fellow merchants.  It was quiet a community, not just shops.

Pre-packaged gift baskets of essentials and foodstuffs to give to begging monks at Talat Sao morning market.

Our next excursions by tuk tuk was to the Phra That Luang, or Great Sacred Stupa, which is the national symbol of Laos. 

Phra That Luang, the preeminent stupa in Laos, is the Lao national symbol.

Truly spectacular, 144 feet high, but what we saw is not the original built in 1566 on the ruins of a 3rd century Hindu temple, but a recreation from 1930, restored after being bombed in WWII.

The huge golden reclining Buddha was a special sight in Vientiane!

Haw Phra Kaew,built to house the Emerald Buddha.

Haw Phra Kaew,  a former temple, now houses a museum and small shop.  Originally, in the mid 1500s it housed the emerald Buddha which is now in Bangkok.  Like Phra That Luang, the temple was subjected to Siamese invasion, and rebuilt by the French.  Confession time:  By this time in our OAT trip, we were beginning to call it "Oh, Another Temple."  Lots of interesting things to see, but they sometimes blurred one into another.  

Some of the thousands of Buddha images in the cloister around Wat Si Saket, Vientiane, Laos

Wat Si Saket was built in 1818 in the Siamese style of Buddhist architecture with a surrounding terrace and an ornate five-tiered roof.  This may have kept it safe as the armies of Siam that sacked Vientiane in 1827 used the compound as their headquarters and lodging place. It may now be the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane, and also houses a museum and features a cloister wall with more than 2000 ceramic and silver Buddha images.  We had fun finding the different unique Lao Buddha poses called mudras, from praying for rain to stop fighting/call for peace and calling to mother earth for wisdom.  

Patuxay, or Victory Arch, built using American cement intended for the new airport in Vientiane, Laos.

The most prominent landmark of Vientiane is Patuxay, or victory arch, [pix 2824-2836] was built in 1957-68 using American cement intended for a new airport. Originally built as a memorial, the Pathet Lao renamed it to celebrate their victory.   The Lao version of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the design incorporates typical Lao motifs.  Most of us climbed to the top of the monument, which gave us excellent panoramic views of the city.

View from Patuxay monument over the city of Vientiane, Laos.

This evening Panya took us on an off-schedule jaunt to a nearby café for local beer and spirits and to sample some local specialties: fried grasshoppers, fried silkworm larvae, and roasted eel skin.  Many of our group tried the exotic crunchy snacks. 

Fried eelskin. 

Fried grasshoppers.  Tasted just like CRUNCH!

 Afterwards we went back to LaBelle Époque for a traditional French meal of vichyssoise, duck with cherries, sweetbreads and French macaroons for dessert that was excellent, an equally interesting but very different experience and a lovely end to our visit to Laos.  

Duck Liver Terrine with Onion Jam at La Belle Epoque restaurant in Settha Palace Hotel, Vientiane, Laos

Feuillete de Champignons du Laos: creamed mushrooms in garlic sauce on puff pastry.   

Bœuf Bourguignon sur son lit de tagliatelles fraiches; Slow cooked beef brasied in red wine sauce served with homemade noodles.

Duck Leg Confit with Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Raspberry Macaroon with homemade gelato.

Molten chocolate cake and homemade ice cream.  Yum!