Per longstanding instructions, I always text my wife when I land. Here is a screen shot of her response:
I did!
We spent two Happy Days in Luang Prabang under the care of our excellent guide, Phonsy (I’m not making this up, you know, as Anna Russell used to say. If you’re unfamiliar with her and enjoy musical satire, check her out. The quote comes from her 22-minute, hysterically funny synopsis of Wagner’s Ring Cycle; she also has an extended bit about how to write your own Gilbert and Sullivan operetta and is really quite hilarious.)
OK, back to the blog (for now): we stayed two nights at a stunning Belmond property, La Résidence Phou Vao. I’ve been a guest in several Belmond hotels, and they’ve all been charming boutique inns, beautifully landscaped and with excellent service.
This hotel is no exception. It’s set in the forest above Luang Prabang and is gorgeous throughout.
The setting and décor create a wonderful sense of tranquility, aided by almost imperceptible but subconsciously relaxing Laotian music in the common areas.
Luang Prabang, a small city of 66,000, is charming, refreshing (spiritually, not physically; it was downright steamy), and tranquil. Sitting on the banks of the Mekong, it’s known for its 32 active temples, hundreds of Buddhist monks, and bustling outdoor markets.
The city also is home to the old Royal Palace, which has been converted into the National Museum. To see these sights, our group piled into two vans (Morrison and Gogh, I believe; my friend Andy was lobbying for Van Diesel but I insist on strict accuracy, and these were gas-powered vehicles.)
The National Museum site contains a 1st century Buddha, Haw Phra Bang (from which the city gets its name) sheltered in a gold-drenched temple. Unfortunately, photography in that building and in the Museum is prohibited.
Inside the Museum, several striking rooms contain French-influenced furniture and beautiful artwork, some almost Gauguin-like and some traditionally Lao. My favorite was the main living room, whose walls are covered in vibrant inlaid glass figures. Although photography at the Museum is forbidden, we saw the same type of decorations at a later stop, Wat Xieng Thong. I’ll post those pictures here so I have more room to post pictures of WXT below.
From the Museum, we stopped for tea at a café adjacent to Heritage House. This one-time residence of a general was purchased and restored by UNESCO. Each room displays items associated with Lao culture. My favorites, not surprisingly, were the musical instruments.
Not far from the house is the small Wat Khil, a temple in the shade of a large eggfruit tree. (If you cross an eggfruit with a breadfruit, do you get a French toast fruit?)
A gleaming Buddha sits inside, apparently having a bright idea.
The largest and oldest temple in Luang Prabang is Wat Xieng Thong. In addition to the photos posted above of glass-inlaid artwork, the temple is famed for a “Tree of Life” and the royal funerary carriage house, complete with a carriage nearly forty feet tall. (Alas, I don’t have a good picture of the Tree of Life because the sun, as so often, was in the worst possible position.)
Following lunch and a restorative immersion in air-conditioning back at the hotel, we had a lovely sunset cruise on the Mekong.
On board, I got to sample (as in finish) two local beers: Beerlao (quite nice) and Luang Prabang (a bit sweet for my tastes).
Unlike in Angkor Wat, the sun and sky cooperated and we got part of a sunset – no spectacular colors but a fiery reflection on the water.
Next up: a trip to the Luang Prabang night market, a blocks-long promenade of stalls selling Laotian kitsch (t-shirts, elephant dolls, lanterns, hats, etc., as well as some beautiful clothes). As with all such markets, it was a photographer’s dream.
Having not built up an appetite weaving through the market – hunger is not an option on an A&K trip – we went for a “tasting dinner” at a gorgeous restaurant called Manda de Laos (10 Narrassan Road).
In reality, the dinner was a multi-course affair: several appetizers, soup, various entrees, and dessert. I reached critical mass after the appetizers, which were delicious, and skipped the rest of the meal. Those brave souls who persevered said the entrees were very good as well.
Even at eight p.m., the temperature was still in the 90s and the humidity was close behind. We returned to the hotel content, sated, and glistening with sweat: Shiny Happy People ready for bed and sweet REM dreams.
On our final morning here, we participated in a tradition that goes back to the 14th century. Every day at 4 a.m., several hundred monks walk through the streets collecting rice from alms-givers. (We hit the late shift, around 6 a.m.) It’s a moving experience, though I began to feel like Lucy in the candy shop as I raced to scoop sticky rice out of my basket quickly enough.
Time for another market, this one selling food in addition to lots of stuff I have no room for in my suitcase (or in my house, for that matter).
Our final stop, on the way to the tiny Luang Prabang airport, was a Baci ceremony at a local house. A service leader chanted prayers for good luck and safe travels, we were offered rice cakes and other snacks as well as a potent rice wine similar to sake, propitious strings were tied around each of our wrists, and we said goodbye to Laos.
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I did indeed have a “Laosy” time in Laos, as my wife wished. I encourage any of you who can to visit here and have a Laosy time as well!
I’ll close with these words of wisdom and advice from Messrs. Stipe et al., which sum up my feelings about Luang Prabang:
Everyone around, love them, love them
Put it in your hands, take it, take it
There’s no time to cry, happy, happy
Put it in your heart where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shine
PuffinlessTravel 