Lavish Living @ Luang Prabang, Laos
After several days in Cambodia it was time to fly to our next destination, Luang Prabang, Laos. We were again greeted at the airport by a quiet but responsible driver and a charismatic tour guide. They drove us to our hotel and gave us a couple recommendations for dinner. So we walked about 30 minutes into town and found an open table at 3 Nagas.
In hindsight we would have preferred somewhere that felt more authentic. The restaurant felt like it was built solely to cater to high income tourists at the cost of good/interesting food. Helen ordered a soup that was served in a silver spittoon-esque container with a long slender ladle. Confused on how to go about consuming this soup Helen tried several tactics. First, she tried using a spoon but the spittoon was too deep and narrow. She tried ladling it over her plate of rice but the thin liquid just spread across the plate, threatening to spill over. In the end she ladled it straight into her mouth; which felt wrong.
After dinner we went to bed to get ready for tomorrow’s busy day. It began with a tour of a local market where we saw vendors selling fresh produce by the kilo. Then we made our way to Khoun Muoung Keo Waterfall.
The area around the waterfall had several nature-inspired attractions, including a bear sanctuary, butterfly garden, and several places to swim near the waterfall itself. This was a definite highlight for us. The water was a striking emerald color due to mineral deposits. The roots of the tree systems criss-crossed the riverbed creating cascading layers of teal pools. We were reminded of the many shades of blue we saw in BANFF, Canada, except this water was much warmer and we couldn’t resist taking a dip.
For lunch our tour guide took us to a tiny Lao restaurant run by one woman and her wok. The food was incredible. Some of our favorite food yet (sorry, we ate too fast to take pictures). Then came the bill and to our shock it was $10 for all 4 of us! We lamented the previous night’s wasted hunger cycle at 3 Nagas, but added a pin on this restaurant so that we could come back in the future.
After lunch we made our way to the King’s former residence which was transformed into a national museum when the monarch stepped down in 1976. In order to enter, we were required to surrender our phones as photos were strictly forbidden. Inside we walked around, our tour guide regaling us with stories about the history of Laos. We learned that the old monarch requested help from the CIA in order to fight a civil war with the communist-backed parties of Laos. However, the monarch ultimately stepped down because they lost the trust of their people when they allowed the CIA to bomb their own people in the “secret war” (1964-1973).
After learning the ancient history of 11th - 13th century Cambodia this history lesson was a nice change of pace. It was all so recent, and intertwined with familiar topics around the Vietnam war. We also got a kick out of the hall full of gifts from other countries. Wondering what the US could have possibly offered this gorgeous country full of beautifully handcrafted artifacts we walked over to the booth to find a single moonrock. We all agreed that’s a good gift.
After the museum we were brought to the base of a 348 step staircase and our tour guide said “climb.” Helen raced up with the fervor of a claustrophobic tourist trying to escape the crowd. Fortunately, we made it to the top with ample time to watch the sun set over the Mekong River. Unfortunately, the crowd was almost shoulder to shoulder. It was still beautiful though.
After sunset we walked through the local market and got dinner at L’Elphant, a French restaurant that came recommended by our tour guide. Again I think we would say that this restaurant was fancy at the expense of food quality. Helen ordered a coq au vin that in Adam’s opinion tasted rushed. The meat wasn’t as tender as it should have been and the lardons were a bit under cooked as to be mushy instead of a nice solid crisp that you can get from a good pancetta. Not to say it was bad, it’s just that it was 10 times as expensive as our lunch and not as good.
The next day would be our final day in Laos. We decided to split apart from BobAnn and go on our own adventure before our flight. So we rented mountain bikes and set off on a 30 mile trail that was half pavement and half dirt. The dirt road part was the most fun as it wound through the laotian country side. Every time we passed school aged children they shouted “Helloooo!” We smiled and waved “Helloo” as they giggled and ran alongside us. It was very endearing and felt like a genuine experience.
Back at the hotel we took a quick shower and got some rest before catching our evening flight to Ha Noi, Vietnam. In the end we really enjoyed Laos and jammed a lot into our 2 days. We could have easily spent more time here.
