Destination Laos: Part 22 Luang Prabang at night

Finally found a room at the Phakam Guesthouse after much walking around the riverside of Luang Prabang, where an eclectic mix of quaint old shophouses, local residences and dimly-lit eateries line the Mekong river, now draped in darkness, with the quirky odd guesthouse or chi-chi restaurant sandwiched in between, or even within these enclaves, with small wooden signs leading you into a narrow alley and up random flights of steps before you find that hidden place.

The whole effect was fantastic, surreal. It didn't feel like a tourist hub (which it is) at all, but rather very intriguingly and mysteriosuly beguiling, promises of finding some hidden place, some nice restaurant or a welcoming guesthouse aroud the corner, or in the midst of the cluster of Lao homes, if you would brave the barking dogs and follow the signs that seemingly lead you on a wild goose chase. All part of the fun - the journey, not the destination indeed. Very bohemian feel to it all. No crazy traffic, no ugly concrete monsters.

Also i'm thankful that Luang Prabang is not as cold as Phonsavanh - where else in Southeast Asia can you hear Canadians complaining about the cold? Leaving the frigid frontlines of Phonsavanh behind for 12 dollar a night, artistically and tastefully decorated (i'm tempted to call it boutique) rooms at the Phakam, with swoon-worthy spacious and spotless bathrooms and "no fail hot showers" as LP promises (ok alot of alliteration and feminine rhyme going on here - i noticed its a bit of a tongue twisting effort saying the above sentence but seriously it was that impressive), it was love at first sight. Ok, strike that. It was a very welcome change from the sand, cold and more cold which you would have noticed are the main adjectives for Phonsavanh.

Went wandering around the UNESCO World Heritage listed city after dumping my stuff at the Phakam. I remembered walking right past the Museum to go like - wow. The night market was really something really unexpected. I thought Luang Prabang was another of those over-hyped, tourist packed Disneylands. Boy was i wrong.

It was amazing. Tranquil and scenic, the neat rows of tungsten lamps running through the middle of the street providing the only illumination and a nice touch of surrealism. The quiet also made it otherwordly as traders sat cross legged on the floor beside their wares, whilst visitors strolled through the street market under the stars. The food is great too - had some cold, but nevertheless very good spring rolls from a side street vendor, with a few bags of condiments thrown in and really great coffee at 5,000 kip, served fresh in a bamboo cup with a cute little blue/pink/green plastic spoon.

Booked a tour to the Pak Ou caves followed by a trip to the Kuang Si waterfalls tomorrow, which from what i've heard from this South African dude in Phonsavanh was pretty amazing. The guy who sold me that tour - really friendly and wanted to learn some Mandarin Chinese from me. I ended up writing him his name in Chinese - Mr. Ah Loon, which he seemed really pleased with and he taught me some Laos in return - i can count from one to ten now! =)

So, first night in Luang Prabang. Hectic, finding a room at last, but fun nevertheless, and Luang Prabang really blew me away. Charmed. I haven't even seen the city by day yet - it must be stunning.