It was very nice to spend some more time in 1 place for once, and nice that that 1 place was Luang Prabang. We did have 2 great day trips, and several "rest days" - which felt really good after almost 2 months on the road since Koh Lipe. It's all because of the China visa application and we did not feel the need for such a long break, nevertheless it felt good.
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| The bamboo bridge across the Nam Khan in Luang Prabang |
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| Modern fishing techniques |
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| The rickety bridge over the Nam Khan |
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| Fish or chicken, what will it be? (sounds like a Malaysia Airlines meal choice) |
Tomorrow - if everything works out with our Chinese visa like we expect - we'll continue cycling. And we are so much ready for it! Really looking forward to be on the bicycle again, on our way again. To leave the comfort of the touristy Luang Prabang behind, and trade it in for more "adventure" and authenticity. To be in Laos again, and not in a tourist enclave. Don't get me wrong, Luang Prabang is very nice, and so are the baguettes, the heritage, the temples, the laid back atmosphere, the food choices, ... it's just not what we are cycling for. Let's say it was a holiday within the holiday.
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| Yesterday we cycled (60km return) to the Kuangsi waterfalls, probably the number 1 tourist attraction around LP (told you this was a holiday). Very beautiful place, beautiful ride, and lots of people... |
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| Tourists. Please (please please) focus on the waterfalls |
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| Kuangsi main waterfall |
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| The same Kuangsi waterfall during our visit in July 2011, after a heavy downpour! |
Tomorrow we'll continue riding north. If we'd want, we could be in China in 4-5 days time. We'll certainly not rush it that much, but we're not sure yet how long we will stay in Laos. China is tempting too, and even though Laos is definitely nice, we don't feel the need to maximise our stay as we thought we would in the beginning. There is something about Laos that makes it feel less fantastic than we expected. I'll get back to that later, when I'll write a summary about Laos. As for our itinerary, we'll see in the days to come...
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| Luang Prabang is an interesting mix from very basic and simple to very luxury |
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| Local side street - path rather |
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| The more luxurious side - although there is much posher than this |
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| Typical street view. Thank you, blue sky! |
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| LP is a very spiritual place, with lots of temples, many monks, where you notice they are actively praying, meditating, learning, etc |
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| A monk studying |
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| Wat Xieng Thong, one of the major, most important temples in town and in fact in all of Laos, very different and elaborate compared to most other wats. First construction of this temple dates back almost 500 years! |
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| LP sunset street view |