Luang Prabang

Just returned across the bamboo bridge across the Nam Khong river from Dyen Sabai and a delicious Lao dinner on the hillside above the river set in lovely teak wood terraces (sala) amidst towering bamboo.  Sigh...Luang Prabang Laos is truly a magical place.  Arrived from Chiang Mai on Lao air (a NEW plane!!!)...whew!  Totally mellow airport, no hustle, no hassle.  Easy ride into the old quarter on the peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers.  We are staying at the Xieng Mouane, across the road from the wat Xieng Mouane.  Our room on the second floor looks out over the road and the wat so in the mornings we can easily hear the beating of the drums and call to prayer.  This drumming echoes throughout the peninsula, from wat to wat. Today was the day of atonement so there was massive drumming and crashing of cymbals and chanting at 4:00 am and 4:00 pm.  Did I say charming?  Did I say magical?  there really is no place on earth quite as lovely.

On Tuesday we decided to go up to Nong Kiaw, which we had heard was beautiful and more rustic.  It was truly beautiful...massive karst mountains jutting up vertically from the river, narrow gorges with the Nam Ou running in between, breathtaking scenery.  We took a mini-van up...packed with tourists but the driver did allow us one pee stop...thank god!  We were deposited at the mini-van stop and our two new friends, Ann and Denny and I, took off at a quick trot to find lodging.  We walked down the red dusty road...and walked...and walked...and walked.  I had left Muz at the station with our luggage thinking that it was only a short hike to the bridge across the river that would lead us to the guesthouses.  And we walked and walked and finally found the bridge and the "regular" bus stop right at the entrance to the bridge.  We walked across to the Riverview, which was supposed to be the best place (and it was) but they had no rooms, so we went to the next best place, the Sunset.  Somehow the woman who ran the place reminded me of Houayxai Hattie...those who know will remember her. The huts were precariously perched over the river with a wonderful view and an earful of the loudest maw lam music complete with karaoke because someone had a baby and there was a party across the river.  Bad karaoke is bad karaoke in any language.  At any rate, the room was too much but the only thing available and by this time I was in a slight panic thinking about Muzzy at the mini-van stop and how many kilometers I would have to walk to get him and then we would have to walk back and he must be wondering what the hell had happened.  So Nong Kiaw Kattie called her sister at the station and asked after a "falang with a hat".  Sister said he had gone...was no more...  Then I got really scared and started walking back to the bridge.  I could picture Muzzy loaded down like a Nepali Sherpa with 2 Brenthaven bags and his camera bag...lost, wondering what had happened...would we ever find one another again?  I started across the bridge and stopped a few feet in, peering towards the other end, red dust covering my shoes, in my hair, choking me with worry....there he was!  A small dot covered in baggage...and dust...at the other end of the bridge.  My relief was boundless.  I hurried toward him...he sort of scrabbled along under his massive load...we met, I relieved him of some of the luggage and we spent the night in Nong Kiaw under a mosquito net and a big thick quilt.  Its cold up here in the mountains....
More about the journey back down the Nam Ou by boat later....