View from the road in front of our guesthouse
The bendiest cat I've ever seen! (it had spotted a dog)
There is perhaps no better way to see Luang Prabang than by bicycle, so we went hunting for the best deal around town. Just as we thought there must be some kind of family monopoly on all the bikes in town, we finally met a man (45 minutes later) willing to give us a better bargain! Elated by our victory, we took to our bikes and did a victory lap around town. Then it was onto some temples!
Wat Poan Pao, sparkling gold on a hilltop at the edge of town, was our first destination. A nun beckoned us inside; it was so peaceful, partly because we were the only tourists there, but also because of its location. We were treated to glorious views of Luang Prabang, the Mekong, and a blanket of forest that stretched over mountains and karsts as far as the eye could see.
We made it!!
Wat Poan Pao
A man adds decorations in gold paint (left); scary wall paintings (right)
Not even the unrelenting heat was enough to stop us from biking to a couple more temples...
Funniest photo... why did the man who took it stand behind the bush?
Riding alongside the mighty Mekong!
...but when we were done, we were so thirsty that we drank five fruit shakes between us. We joked that we could get through the whole menu between us, and during our two days together we came scarily close!
Best fruit shakes in Luang Prabang!!
Luang Prabang also has a fantastic night market, full of handmade crafts, paintings, silk, toys, and all manner of souveniers. Emily and I bought matching monk scrolls, plus a few other bits and pieces.
So many beautiful artworks...
Before sunlight had cracked the dawn sky the next morning, Emily and I tore ourselves from our beds to witness the townspeople giving alms to the monks. Almost immediately after we got onto the streets, a group of ladies tried to sell us food to give to the monks, but we were extremely uncomfortable with both the notion of participating in a religious tradition as if it were a tourist activity, and - perhaps even more so - the act of these ladies making business out of it. I know they do what they do because there's a market for it and they need to get by, but it still doesn't sit right with me.
After the grey sky had brightened a few shades, the procession of monks began.
Locals give food to the monks
But what tugged at Emily's and my heartstrings were some locals, many of them children, with boxes or baskets. They knelt by the side of the road, wai-ing deeply to the monks as they passed. At first we didn't understand. Then we saw some of the monks put some of the food they'd just received into their baskets. With heartbreaking realisation, we saw that these poor people were begging for food, and we came to appreciate the full beauty of what was happening. The townspeople look after the monks, and the monks in return look after the people.
Monks give food to the people
We made sure to get another couple of hours of sleep before commencing the day proper, and what a day it was! After negotiating a great price for a tuk tuk (we've gotten pretty good at this now), we set off for Kuang Si Waterfall. We were a bit surprised when we arrived to see a bear rescue center! It was so funny watching the bears strut around and wrestle.
Emily and the bears!
The lower waterfalls streamed off beautiful rock formations like threads of white silk into turquoise pools. Not only was it a perfect spot for swimming, but there was also a rope swing! Emily was really nervous, but she did it anyway!
Rope swing!
A short jungle trek later, we found this:
Kuang Si Waterfall
We had heard there was a path to the side of the waterfall to climb to the top, but it really wasn't much of a path. It was steep and kind of slippery, and I was kind of concerned I was going to break my thongs again...
Steep, slippery climb
When we did finally reach the top, we felt a bit lost. Where was the lookout? There was no one else around to ask, but we decided to push on anyway. We treaded through a creek and a swamp of mud, and Emily was attacked by a bloodthirsty leech, before we turned back because it didn't feel right.
Hmm... this doesn't seem right...
Finally, two of our tuk tuk friends, Kaye and Eric (who had done the climb the day before as well), reached the top and showed us where to go. After an even deeper trek through water, we were led to the lookout. It wasn't a lookout of the waterfall, exactly: we were standing in the waterfall! There were a couple of branches laid across as a rail, but apart from that, there was nothing to stop us tumbling off the edge with the water we were standing in.
Kaye, Emily and Eric on the edge
It's a long way down!!
This was our path
Kaye and Eric led us across the top of the waterfall to the other side. Along the way, Emily spotted this giant spider:
As big as my face...
We descended on the other side of the waterfall from which we'd climbed, and the "path" was a bit more tame. We even found a staircase, although it seemed to be part of the waterfall now.
About to go down The Stairs of Doom!
Pondering life (left), and taking it easy (right)
It was such a fun, incredible day! Emily left early the next morning, but I'm so glad we bent our travel plans to make our catch-up work!
I stayed in Luang Prabang another three days - not by plan, exactly. I got caught up in the slower pace of things and felt myself fully unwind for the first time since quitting my job and packing up my apartment. Don't worry - I did go further than Emily's and my favourite fruit shake stand! Luang Prabang used to be the capital of Laos, and could still be called its religious center, and one of its most holy sites sits right in the center. Wat Phu Si sits atop a forested hill in the middle of town, but the layout of town is so well designed that it's almost devilishly hidden. A short climb later I made it to the top, commanding a view so beautiful I couldn't stop gaping.
You can see Wat Poan Pao, where Emily and I rode our bikes!
I had thought that was all there was to see, but as I came down the other stairway, I discovered a mini city of Buddha statues, temple buildings, and even a spooky cave.
Worshipping statues
Slightly creepy cave (left); monks on the edge (right)
Also of importance in town is the national museum, and the temple next to it which was once used by the royal family. I have to say: Luang Prabang is one of the most charming places I've ever been.
Beautiful
Even as I made my way to the pier to leave, Luang Prabang had one more otherworldly glimpse for me. These young monks were climbing the temple stupas so that they could tie on strings of lanterns, laughing and having fun like boys their age normally do.
A rare sight indeed
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